


the day your sun died

by passionred (berryargento)



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Ftnr, Omegaverse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-05
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-27 11:26:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 37,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13879887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berryargento/pseuds/passionred
Summary: Sometimes, Imai Lisa wished she can live in blissful ignorance. - Omegaverse. α / Ω





	the day your sun died

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to ... err anyways. Hello. Let me just get into word of warnings. This might be Omegaverse but, don't worry if you dislike smut, the smut is pretty vanilla - hence it's M-rated, though I need to repeat that this is Omegaverse so we have ... futanari, okay. And if you're not familiar with this Omegaverse, go search it, google is your friend!
> 
> Why Omegaverse and RisaSayo? I wonder myself, and it ended up being expanded after the usual prompt conversation ... I do hope that this can be ... quite some read to relieve past time, if not.
> 
> Enjoy then? And see you!

**I.**

Yamato Coffee may be one of numerous coffee shop available in the main street; but it was different for her.

Imai Risa had chosen it as a place for part time work as the owner is friendly to college student's worker; easy to contact, also that the owner is a young woman like her but with business experience.

Also, what had captivated Risa is the style of vintage the cafe had - in the wood tables lined there but with modern retouch like hanging lamp installation above mimicking star dome, and catchy neon sign outside the cafe. The cafe itself is small, there are only four medium-sized table with sofa seating across the main counter contained six stools. The heart of the shop, the counter, packed with equipment needed to brew, press coffee, also for mixing tea.

One of Yamato Coffee's specialty outside their wide range of coffee and tea types, is that the owner Yamato Maya allowed (or to be correct, encouraged) her part-timer barista to make "their own blend" that would be posted on menu as 'today's special'. For example, Risa selected to major on tea, her specialized tea blend is flowery-scented tea with or without another herbs in the mix.

That night, Risa finished the latest order and bowed at the customer as they took their leave.

 _What an easy work tonight,_ she thought, as the cafe is now quiet without an apparent sign that anyone might coming. Usually, the night shift would be the most suffocating in that coffee shop, since people would bustle in after busy work hours, however, it paid more than day shift especially when the staffs decided to put overtime as the large number of customers still stayed in the shop, though the boss has arranged the shifts well so that everyone got their same share of payment.

There are still thirty minutes before the shop closed on 10 pm, so Risa decided that she would do an experiment on tea blends-she would love to be able to find "right" spice for her green tea.

However, her peaceful time didn't cease to continue.

Risa was pouring hot water to the tea filter with green tea leaves in, when a sweet smell wafted garnering her attention, and it wasn't from how the tea smelled. Risa has yet to get jar of spices out from the cupboard, so it must be not from that, too. The brunette turned back and forth to search for any sign that perhaps she let syrup bottle knocked off or that she spilled vanilla powders. She then left the tea, as the smell was getting stronger and stronger that it started to bother her.

She stopped at the door leading to back room by the north.

"Sayo?"

Risa tried to call before opening the back door as there was no response. If her memory served well, her co-worker of that night's shift, excused herself there before the last customer came. The smell that filled the back room hitting her senses hard as she entered. Sayo was crouching on the floor, hugging herself, trembling.

This particular sweet smell; Risa finally aware the actual source of the smell.

"D-Don't come closer!" Sayo shouted, her face flushed. Her hands balled on iron grip to her own clothes as she withstand the pain.

_Omega's pheromone during heat._

The brunette was close to drop on her knees. It always unbearable for any Alpha to witness an Omega releasing their pheromones. Risa tried to close her nose and mouth, her mind chanting that Sayo needed help-the injection to suppress pheromones-not her impulse that getting best of her.

First aid kit - Risa recalled the boss placed it beside the electricity panel, there should be an emergency injection.

Biting her own hand to distract herself from the smell, Risa managed to move, searching for the injection. Thankfully, no one is coming for a coffee, and the pain on her hand was enough to keep her sanity intact for awhile. Risa retrieved the injection and ran back to the back room.

"Give me your arm." Sayo inched away desperately from Risa, closing to the wall. Fear, anxiety; Risa can see it on her eyes as she peeked. "Please, Sayo. I'm-I'm here with your medicine."

Sayo shakily extended her left arm. Risa didn't waste more time to roll up her sleeve and inject the medicine to her veins.

The Alpha then pulled away, closing the door behind her aloud, loud enough to make the sound echoed in the silent cafe. Risa released a breath of relief. Sweat still dripping on her forehead, her fluttering heartbeat has yet to rest, and the pain from her own biting started to sting.

 _Close. That was close.-_ Risa never know that the smell of pheromone is that strong, strong enough that she felt her sanity is ripped away leaving only impulse behind. She was on the edge of submitting to the desire. She was almost, _almost_ -

"... Her eyes … she, she feared me, eh?" Risa mumbled.

.

After taking several minutes to compose herself and patch up her bleeding hand, Risa flipped the sign outside closed. She opened the door to back room, feeling the sweet smell has subsided. Sayo was sitting on the break sofa there, watching with blank eyes as Risa came in.

Hikawa Sayo is one of the part time staff there listed on the name board. The boss ever said that the workers there are college students, so Risa surmised that she's also one. Risa had her shift together with Sayo twice a week, nighttime. The brunette rarely talked to her as Sayo mostly ignored her, simply speaking when needed or Sayo spent more time absorbed in her coffee brewing job.

"Hey, umm," Risa scratched her cheek. "How about you go home now? You still look pale."

"... H-How about the store?" she stumbled.

"I'll tell the boss that you're feeling unwell." she reassured. "I mean, I also can't handle all the customers myself."

Sayo stood up, only to stagger back to her seat. Risa caught her hand. "-I'll help you home. You're not in the condition to walk like this."

"But-"

"What if something happened to you out there when you're this weak?" Risa retorted. "Wait a bit, I'll close the store."

.

Sayo didn't speak after she told the taxi driver of her address.

Seeing Sayo was between looking at the blur of building in the night outside the window or casting her eyes down, Risa tried not to ask anything. The taxi direction was the opposite of her rented apartment, but she didn't mind.

About twenty-minute' drive, the car stopped right before cluster of small apartment complexes.

"... Don't follow me. This is already enough, I can manage to walk on my own." Sayo's tone was stone cold. The way she hold her usual stoic facade is more intimidating, or at least she tried to be, despite there was a hint of her restlessness by how her lips clicked. "Thank you, I'll pay for the taxi."

"There's no need. Just go." _No, please, they don't need to stall with debating there_. "You need your rest."

With a sigh, Sayo found herself to nod, before her back disappeared to the apartment direction.

* * *

 

The remaining of taxi trip is spent with Risa contemplating, minded nothing of how empty the road tonight or how beautiful the starry sky in the middle of Spring.

While the discrimination between Alpha, Beta and Omega has been lessened during the course of time; sometimes there are some people whom still think Alpha is the superior and they could oppress others. It's not like if somebody was born in prestigious families, or that someone is charismatic and having power over things, they are automatically an Alpha anyway. Her parents also told her many times that Risa shouldn't be some Alpha like that, and more importantly, she should think of everyone as an equal.

Thinking back again, it's the first time she saw that she's being feared, also the first time she confirmed her peers to be an Omega. Usually, Risa won't really ask of those identities unless the said people revealed it. Being exposed like that must be humiliating, or that was Risa could deduce from how Sayo looked at her after the incident.

Next time, she should apologize - or better, never bring it up again and be usual cheery and bright Imai Risa.

Her apartment wasn't exactly expensive, but it was close to her campus and it was near a park where the city's community of Alpha usually gathered, making it look like an exclusive area. When she fished out her keys, she noticed that the lamp is lit.

Ah, _she_ must be there, Risa chuckled to herself and proceed to knock the door instead.

Not long, the door unlocked and opened for her, revealing a young woman around her age, wearing apron above her yellow lace up knit sweater and holding a large painting brush. Her fluffy pink hair is tied in twintails like usual.

"... You got paint all over your face, Aya." she snorted.

"-Eh?"

"Oh well, just let me come in first, I'm tired~"

"Sorry! Welcome home, Risa-chan!"

"Naw, it's not your home~ but yeah, I'm home!"

Aya took a beeline to the bathroom after that, must be checking her funny face. Risa walked in to find the pinkette already upped her easel and canvas at the usual spot by the living-scratch-work room, having her phone near the canvas to see her reference.

Maruyama Aya is a Beta she acquainted through Art College. While she could be seen as a freeloader, actually, no, Aya is simply working everywhere she wanted and/or juggling through her hobbies in tandem to doing her assignments, so sometimes she's either seen camping on the campus' art room or taking refugee to Risa's apartment room-not like Risa minded her, Aya is an interesting fellow with her share of stories.

Risa examined the sketched canvas, and tapped on Aya's phone screen to see whatever her reference was-

"Nude again?" Risa chuckled, marveling on open browser page with "nude woman & poses" inside the search box query.

"Hey, nude _is_ art."

"People will take you as pervert, though~?" the brunette said in sing-song teasing. Well, Aya looked like an innocent girl from her top to bottom with no intention of harm, after all. "I mean, you can always … uhh, draw normal nature landscape like me for projects? Why nudes?"

"I already told you ma~ny times, Risa-chan." Aya popped from bathroom with towel over her face. "I love nudes-I-I mean!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Risa couldn't help but laughing aloud. Long story short, it's more correct to say that Aya is interested in human anatomy and expression, also curious on how to apply it on sketches. Risa saw it on their first year, and she watched as Aya is working hard to hone her skill. Now in their third year, Aya has been acknowledged by class as anatomy master … well, sometimes they dubbed her as nude master to poke fun. "It's your dream to become a model, and then you failed, you took up fine art major by your parents' request, and then captivated with nude paintings?"

"... That doesn't sound any better, but okay. That's that." Aya heaved a sigh. She hanged her apron by her canvas, seeming to be stopping for a day as she put back her painting brushes and watercolor set aside. The sketch there is still rough, maybe she planned to do it later or that it would be strange to take half-finished nude paintings while walking around public. "Speaking of this, I got my fund raiser for my beginner nude painting class!"

"Wow, that's cool!"

"Yeah, I got the letter just this morning." Aya explained, showing the said letter of approval. "Though, the fund raiser person's office is closer to my rented apartment so I guess I should say goodbye to my nomad life."

"Ehh? You need to report to them often?"

"No, well, the fund raiser would be glad to be able to see what I'm really doing in the class. I did, uhh, tongue-tied when I'm explaining it and I thought I won't get any fund raiser this quick~"

Risa had her barista part time and Aya had this dream to open up her own painting class and photography class. Though it might be of a beginner scale, a supplementary class like that should help fellow art students or for anyone interested to learn the ropes in photography. Risa encouraged Aya to take a tuition for it, still, it's not enough. Aya needed more money to buy equipment and rent a bigger place to hold her class. It was when they came through a notice in bulletin board back in campus that the city are holding open house for entrepreneurs. It was two weeks ago when Aya mustered her courage to speak in public about her wish to spread knowledge and to learn something new through her class.

"Then, how about a little tea for celebration?" Risa offered.

"Umm but, your hand; you're wounded." when Aya pointed at her bandaged left hand, Risa retracted almost impulsively. _Ah, it's from earlier - talking animatedly with Aya surely makes her forgot about the wound._ Aya seemed to catch her uncertainty when Risa pulled her eyes away, and there the pink-haired woman stretched a knowing smile. "Save it for later when I impressed my boss with the class!"

"Oh, you're going home now?"

"Yeah, I borrowed my neighbor's bike!" the pinkette took her canvas, her bag, and her jacket from the hanging post. "See you tomorrow, good night!"

The door closed fully and she is in blissful silence of loneliness. Risa released a sigh that she has been holding earlier, seeing her patched left palm from her own biting. Maybe, maybe Aya indicated that thankfully she's not wounded by the right hand, her main hand used when she's painting, though it's visible by her wandering eyes of Aya that she was worried all the same.

Risa watched the easel standing there, she didn't bother on tidying it because her mind occupied on something else.

… _Maybe she should sketch something to ease out stress?_ Risa suddenly thought. She glanced on the wall clock, seeing the small hand pointed on eleven, it's already late - she need to show up on morning class.

"... Well, let's just … sleep."

[ And trying to melt it away with restless dreams, things that happened today. ]

 

 

**II.**

Days after that, it was restlessness that bounded Risa as she woke up in the morning. She skipped from making boxed lunch as her time ran out while she was spacing out when preparing easy breakfast. The following week of continuous morning-to-afternoon classes kept her awake physically, but she felt that something, _something,_ felt off. A pang of guilt or there also a regret in a mix; Risa spending more and more time to sit alone and contemplate. The lessons and perhaps some important information flew by her ears and her brain, only her and spinning to her pen feat blank notes.

After that night, Sayo didn't come to her usual scheduled shift that is together with Risa. She did check the attendance list, Sayo is absent almost on every shift that week, and it made her nausea doubled. She could always ask her boss, but what would she gain out of it? Being worried is human, yes, but to worry someone you barely know? It would only brand her as creep.

Tonight will be another night with their joined shift, hopefully Sayo will come, or not - maybe Sayo already quit because of her, nice conclusion.

The professor up there concluded the sculpture class with his last slide, something about telling everyone to shape up before next sculpting practice. Packing her unused notebook, Risa opted to find somewhere to relax before going for her part time work, when pink twintails showed up, her eyes beaming.

"Risa-chan! Have you heard?"

"... Hmm, I think no?"

"The Gallery! They will hold The Gallery again this year!"

Gallery? Risa perked her eyebrow up in inquiring more about whatever Aya meant, and why it got her more than excited - close to jumping around, maybe.

"You didn't listen? It's that yearly event by campus for us to show our work to public - it might land to famous artist or even, to famous curators!"

"Okay, okay, I get it, calm down." Risa gestured Aya to take a breather or two. "And?"

"Oh, guess you didn't hear anything after all; when you're always busy scratching on your sketchbook there~" Risa's cheeks turned shades of pink. So Aya saw - she must be really out of it, thankfully it's not the professor that called her out to give an earful. "We must submit our work because we're in our third year, I repeat, must."

"H-Huh!?" yeah, that's the first time she's hearing it.

"Don't worry, the deadline is still far in … about six months?" Aya counted with her fingers. "The committee will check the entries and reveal what works that would be displayed within a month, and reveal their concept of how the event would be commenced," Risa still blinking to grasp. "Oh, don't worry, there's no assigned theme, we can submit anything we want."

Six months - sounded pretty long, however, her set of mind is nowhere in wanting to work on anything, be it her own trump card of abstract-kind sunset sky in oil base. It's not like Risa fond of doing nature landscape or painting building in perspective. She can choose anything to draw, but she compelled on choosing non-living thing as a painting object more without apparent reason. Aya knew that Risa draws more nature landscape nowadays, well, they are brother in arms when it comes to painting, they are not sculpture type or pottery type, or whatever, just sit down in front of easel for hours, shaping the object: better.

"You're planning on nudes again, I bet."

"And you, something like, what, waterfall?" Aya snickered. "Why don't we do a collab then? Everyone will call us 'naturally nude' for sure." ended with deadpan.

"Nice one, Aya."

* * *

 

Gallery; right, that should add up to her mountain of thinking.

First, it was filled at whatever to say to Sayo if they met today, and then how to behave like nothing happened, and now, an ultimate assignments. Risa could opt for easy piece that she usually done for homework, only let it to grow unnoticed and maybe her canvas thrown away in pile of rejects. How Aya looked pumped of submitting her all to make it noticed seem to affect her, but not enough to make her feel inspired; how to even half-ass a work that will make it look like a full-ass? The college's professor is not ordinary civilian who will let such imperfect art piece slide.

Risa walked with head high as she passed tall commercial buildings. The bus ride was kind of quick again that day, usually, she would take that half-an-hour to sketch something on her personal favorite A4-sized sketchbook in red leather cover. Even after her hands are fully healed, her muse has yet to bloom. Aya might see her looked like she was sketching, in reality, the pages after her random scribble of park bench dated two weeks ago were empty, she simply drawing void lines atop it when spacing out.

It's back to square one; _if Sayo will be there, what is she going to say?_

The neon sign of Yamato Coffee appeared on her line of sight after five minute walk, there are some girls in uniform walked out with glasses of tea before she came on in, watching the board with today's menu has been changed: her signature rose tea blend and there's the coffee blend 'Blumensarg'.

"Welcome to Yamato-"

The words died from her lips, and so her smile, perhaps. Sayo, her long turquoise hair up in ponytail, is already there in her work white shirt below the black Yamato apron tending the counter. Their eyes meet, almost fleetingly as both quickly draws away, Risa made a haste to the back room without further greetings.

_Ohnoohnoohno-_

Risa tried to compose herself while changing to no avail. There's no use to hide forever, she needed to work and help Sayo on handling customers, it will be busy hour soon.

The brunette slipped away the back room, stating that she came in with an awkward fake cough. Sayo was making a latte art by the coffee machine, she watched briefly when Risa entered and then shrugged. Risa didn't have much choice but to stay behind the cash register instead, or glanced at stock card.

"Imai-san." Sayo handed a mug. "It's for the man there at far right corner."

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Risa got the tray resting on the counter.

 _Keep your head in the game. Keep your head in the game._ Risa repeated. Sayo was behaving the usual: her silence, her talking barely, her busying on coffee machine, her loading coffee beans, her way of thinking that Risa doesn't exist, the usual stuffs. _Everything should be fine_ , Risa murmured along _._ The brunette should be doing the customer's service smile just like how it usually be and leaving the coffee to Sayo.

"Imai-san, one Rooibos honey tea, hot, medium."

"Comin' right up!"

Risa would be the one making tea. Sayo would be the one making coffee. Then they would switch to cash register if one's busy with beverage making, or if somebody is handing in the orders, or if somebody cleaning the empty glasses and cups. Their shift usually moved in quick steps; no need to yell aloud for orders, no need to remind others what to do.

The brunette bowed at the customer after giving them their change, when she sneaked a glance to the running espresso machine. Sayo is tending two little cups of hot Americano at the moment. Her sharp-looking, keen eyes - measuring on the espresso amount. Her lips, slightly parted while it stretched a bit on its sides as if to tell that Sayo is having fun. Her long, meticulous index finger stopped the flow of coffee drip.

It took minutes for Risa to aware that she was, in fact, being too distracted by small details when one of the finished cup is handed on her way. "For that woman in table three." Risa swallowed, again, taking the cup and silently moved herself to the said table without making much eye contact.

_Sayo's lips, it was stretched when she's making a coffee, huh? Never noticed._

Risa greeted the woman, which is someone in her late 30s, answering the greeting and praising on how nice the Americano smelled. The brunette hold a conversation a bit regarding how Yamato Coffee handled their coffee, and how Risa would like for the woman to come again next time to try on their other daily surprise blends, then leaving the table with ever-present grin.

By the time she came back to the counter, Sayo already put the next Americano cup there, she was standing still behind the espresso machine.

"Sayo, for which table is this?"

Sayo's eyes, however, were dazed when she asked. Risa wanted to repeat her question, when she heard a click of tongue, "Oh. It's … it's for that man over there."

_Now that's strange - she was so deep in concentration earlier, how come she suddenly … went dazed?_

Risa swallowed again for nth time, hammering to her mind that she should brush away those kind of details and focus on work.

Nothing is happening. She and Sayo simply a work acquaintance like before. Sayo is feeling fine again. Their work pace went as usual and it's always a plus with synced partner and less talking in busy hours.

[ Everything is okay.-or so Risa hoped it will be. ]

 

 

**III.**

_Headache._

Yes, Sayo can feel nothing but headache even after days when her humiliation taken place. Someone had discovered of her being an Omega without her consent – _ah_ , just remembering how it went made her want to smack a wall or something – also, to mention, the one discovered her in heat haze state is none other than an Alpha.

Well, at least she should be grateful that the particular Alpha did not take an advantage of her, rather, she helped her to make her pain lasted.

 _The medicine, though,_ Sayo probed her bag to find set of pill blisters are there. _Why at that time it wasn't working; while it is usually concealed her pheromones perfectly during the time of heat?_

"Hikawa-san …?"

Sayo turned to see a black-haired, well-endowed beauty walked to her table on the canteen's cafeteria. She got a plastic of bread on her hand. Her attire of dark blue polka dot collar shirt and frill trim laced skirt making her look rather elegant, but with her apparent shyness, it's almost as if she choose a plain clothes to hide her identity within plainness. Shirokane Rinko is her only friend in the class in the Classic Literature major of Hanegaoka University, Sayo's 'at-least-someone-to-talk-with' kind of friend. Their classes on some philosophical renaissance literature study just ended and Sayo, seeking solace and space to ingest her medication, finding the deserted canteen as a beacon of hope.

Now that Rinko is there, she discarded the thought of drinking her tablets.

"If, if you want to do something, please don't mind me." Rinko said after she asked if she could sit there with her.

"Isn't Alpha going to laugh at me for taking in my pills?" Sayo stated coldly.

"N-No, I …" the black-haired woman was aghast. "I … I understand … how it feels … I-I have Omega … friends," Rinko knew Sayo already casted her gaze of doubts, so she continued. "… from online game."

The turquoise-haired woman sighed, taking out the pills. "… but I needed it anyway, can't leave my dosage unattended."

Rinko knew that she is an Omega – well, she told her, because at the moment they were acquainted for a group movie analysis, Sayo sensed that she smelled like an Alpha. To see a timid, quiet Alpha existed, Sayo understood that there also types of people who dons the superiority state but didn't look like one.

 _Just like a certain someone_. Sayo didn't realize that the woman—the curled, brown-highlighted-haired woman—was an Alpha before the incident. Maybe, maybe, Sayo did stay on the adherence of 'foul' Alpha, to know the real society is so big in diversity.

"Hikawa-san … you're not eating?" Sayo shook her head. She ingested the pills easily without water. Rinko took out a triangle BLT sandwich from her bag. "You … you can have this."

"Oh, it's okay, I've just eaten earlier."

"… T-Take it?" Rinko's eyes twinkled, there's this expression that made Sayo feel bad if she insisted not to accept her kindness.

"O, Okay."

Sayo eyed on the plastic outer to see the expiration date before peeling it away. Rinko watched her silently while munching—quietly, almost soundless—on her melon bread.

"Are you … okay? You look … tense."

"Am I not tense all the time? Our classmates always says so."

"No, umm," Rinko rolled her eyes. "You were not … commenting on how the classes went today … usually you will, err, spot professor's near-miss points, and," she was afraid that it might anger Sayo, but if she stopped, Sayo will be angry too. "You seem … to avoid Alphas more."

Sayo swallowed. _Did she?_

Ever since the incident in the café taken place, yes, she has been distancing herself more than she's looking independent, or so Rinko said. While Sayo never hated the fact that she's born as an Omega, she doesn't like the idea of discrimination and the fear. It's true that the discrimination wasn't as great as how it is in the past, still, Omega is prone to be exposed to danger because of their pheromone's strength.

"I was thinking of moving away from this city, too," Sayo murmured. "But to do that, I need more money."

"Did … did something bad happened?"

 _That Alpha, though, she was …_ truly _trying to help despite her being affected, never in her wildest dream to see someone with such willpower. Usually, an Alpha should be—_

"… It's nothing."

* * *

 

After Aya broke the news about The Gallery, when Risa stepped in the campus grounds, the sight of everyone preparing is slowly visible.

There are ones doing murals, already making their space over the empty lot of wall and did measurements. Some are noisily talking about their joint project, not much that Risa can get from the conversation aside that they were excited to make sure that it's memorable. There also someone sitting by lonesome, though with stacks of books in regard of different architecture models. Several people presented with their own laptop on, creating out of many apps and listless codes in the library. Some of usually empty rooms are now full with people sculpting or busying with their easels within their leisure time.

Everyone, _the whole college_ , is passionate about the upcoming gallery showcase. _How come she doesn't?_

Their division of fine art major is divided within three buildings, A, B and C, but some area of Building A is closed down due to renovation, making the college allowed students and lecturers to use everywhere-literally everywhere, even the basketball field-to use for art-related studies, like holding class or making art works. This art college is well-known to produce talented artist and their freedom environment, it's the main reason Risa chose this place to continue her pursue on art.

Risa finally find an empty spot where she could be alone, the locked art room that had been hijacked by Aya and her, on the old part of Building A that's still partly renovated. The brunette peeked on the glass window to find Aya was not there, but she left some of her photographic equipment on the big table; spare lenses, a camera and a folded tripod. Aya must have been there earlier, maybe if Risa stayed awhile there before afternoon classes started, she could see her.

Stepping in inside the room, Risa quickly get on the joined big tables instead taking random chairs they stacked with Aya at the end of the room. She pried off Aya's equipment away from her space before she took out her sketchbook.

Yet, she didn't fill it with anything for these past days, even though her favorite subject of watercolor study and art therapy just passed recently, but she still couldn't see the right muse.

(What she has been thinking all along, that made her this miserable?)

Risa took out her watercolor set - something she happened to left in her bag because of yesterday's watercolor study. She had a compact palette where she also stored her watercolor brush and needle she usually used to tweak and mix colors. She then stared on the empty page, rolling a pencil on her thumb as she is thinking.

(What she has been thinking all along, that made her this miserable?)-it's back to zero.

"Is it because I'm hated? Or is it because I'm an Alpha …?" Risa murmured as her pencil made rough lines on sketching.

Being hated while doing something she thought good … no, it wasn't really the thing she minded of. It's given whether Alpha is being hated because of their usually high status or power, even though the discrimination already over the edge. Risa herself didn't mind if she's being hated, or that anyone resented her for being an Alpha. Somehow, what she sensed is something else; a different kind of feeling.

Risa finished her initial sketch and wanted to apply color instead of sharpening it with pen. She started with green, dabbing a bit of blue cake as well and squeezed more water out the brush's container when it hit the paper.

 _Everything is okay -_ or so she thought, it's not like she could simply ignore how Sayo's eyes looked at her now when it just passed by, fleetingly. The hatred, the shame, the-

"-It looks good, is it a male or a female?"

Risa was close to throw away her sketchbook. Aya was hovering on her shoulder with her full grin, she mouthed a sorry before she stepped back, letting Risa to recover from shock.

"... You, are close to make my heart went away." the brunette sighed. "W-Where did you come from?"

Aya gestured down, "I slept on the floor, below these tables." Risa widened her eyes. How come she didn't realize- "I was sleepy after some class about art philosophy so I dozed off-anyways, what are you drawing? It has been awhile since I saw you draw … somebody."

"Secret~"

"Aww." Aya pouted. "Oh, well, don't mind me. I'll be taking this corner to clean up my camera lenses."

It has been a while she has been drawing somebody, Aya was right. When Risa lifted up the sketchbook to see her progress, she's just finished with the part of hair. Though, as the skin color and other parts has yet to be colored, it's looking more like an abstract kind of sea reflection - with blue and green and white in the canvas. Well, she should wait a bit for the paint to dry before adding other parts.

"Say, Aya." Risa gained a hum as response. She seek the corner of her eye to see Aya is intently wiping on those lenses. "What do you think of fated pair?"

"Is that something like, you meet someone and instantly feel like you wanted to be with them?" Aya said. "Aren't those more of your Alpha thing with Omega? Why are you asking a Beta like me?"

"Well, just curious about your viewpoint?" Risa dabbed another color, this time, creamy mix for skin.

Aya hummed, quite long. Her fingers meticulously threaded on one lenses to another, making a small squeak. "You know, those romance film and novels? They are going lots about Alpha and Omega that's fated to be is romantic, but I don't think so," Risa paused at that. "I mean, things are not that easy. Sometimes, it can be overly … complicated, I guess? There's no one way to live, you can always be with whoever you want …" Aya stopped when Risa twisted to look at her in disbelief. "W-What is it, Risa-chan?"

"... I never thought you can say something like that."

"Hey, that's mean." Aya snickered.

However, around that time, Risa realized that it wasn't love, or even close to like, or anything. Her feeling is abstract, as disjointed as how the picture slowly turns out.

.

It's a genuine worry, nothing more.

* * *

 

Around the time of another shifts, Risa come to adhere that something is really off about Sayo. Aside of the usual-now she's used to it-antagonistic eye contact that even packed with more disgust when they exchanged a bit during work, she noticed that Sayo spaced out often.

"The coffee cup is full." Risa spoke once, and Sayo seem to slow to realize it. Risa extended her hand to turn off the machine, when the turquoise-haired woman jolted.

"Ah," her magnanimous response. "Sorry." she got a wiping cloth from beneath the counter, starting to wipe the coffee stains out of the counter top. Sayo's hands were shaking a bit as she did, though Risa opted not to say anything and took the cup instead.

"Are you okay?" is her only attempt in trying to ask.

"I'm fine." a clipped response. Sayo brought the cloth to the sink to clean, and Risa pulled away to collect plates from the tables instead.

Sayo spaced out often, or to be said, _too_ often that it bothered her. Sayo is the most composed person who never slipped out of her perfection during work; she clocked in work early, she timed the moment to make coffee drip as exactly as it should be, she cleaned tables quick, also she's able to handle customers without a break of her business smile. Some while after the incident, Sayo handed most of the customer handling to Risa and putting her concentration on beverage making instead, not like Risa minded of it. When Risa think about it, though, something is amiss.

No. She should leave Sayo alone on her problem. After all, she is nobody, and on the top of it, Sayo hated her - Risa must have injured her pride by that time, and the mutual trust is irreparable.

* * *

 

Another day, when Risa is scheduled to have a shift with Sayo but it's a morning shift, Risa came to the cafe to see her boss is there restocking the shelves.

"Oh, good morning, boss!" Risa greeted. Yamato Maya in her signature red-framed glasses and her short brown hair tied in low ponytail, grinned back. She then stepped down the helping stool, proceeding to open another box.

"Good morning, Risa-san."

Maya was in her button up white shirt and the store black apron, as Risa looked closely. It's not the first time Risa saw her boss joined the shift, still, it would surprise her nonetheless since mostly of what she got after doing part-time jobs to another, the actual "boss" only doing little supervision, and left the part-timers to the responsibility to the store manager or something. Yamato Coffee didn't have any manager, though, it's only Maya there and there's not much of staff hierarchy.

"Where's Sayo, boss?"

"Ah, she phoned me this morning that she'll take some days off," Maya answered. An answer that enough to make Risa halted from her way to back room, only to glance at her boss. "No one is able to fill in for this morning, so I'm in. Also coincidentally, I want to check up on the coffee machines after so long~"

 _A week_ \- that sounded like an Estrus.

There's a policy for Omega workers to take a day off when it is nearing or when they are having Estrus so they would be free from harm and didn't bother other workers. Risa never seen Sayo took a day off during her work time, it's just recently that she took breaks and Risa is aware of it as it could be long.

"Is something bothering you, Risa-san?" Maya asked. She folded the empty box to smaller folds.

"Oh, no, not really." Risa put a relaxed smile. "I'll open the store!"

Risa got changed and quickly head back outside to change the today's special blend on the board and flipped the sign open.

"Umm, boss? What kind of blend do you want to make today? Tea or coffee?" Risa shouted to inside.

"Put it to 'Admiral Yamato' coffee~"

"Eh? You know how to make Eve's coffee, boss?" the brunette mentioned a certain part-timer who's making that blend. It also did raise Risa's suspicion whether her boss is stealing ideas but, it's not her problem. "Have you asked her permission, boss?"

"It will be okay, I'll tell her later when she's coming for afternoon's shift!"

Risa wondered though what kind of tea blend she wanted to make today. She already bored with lots of green tea creation for weeks, but nothing came up to her mind today. Risa is the only one who's not having a specialized name for her blend. She would go name it with 'types of tea' + 'types of spice that she used as flavoring' instead.

After mulling for minutes, Risa ended up writing green tea again, this time with citrus and lemongrass. It was when she heard footsteps stopping behind her.

"Is the cafe open?"

"Yeah, we are open. Please come on in-"

Risa turned to see a familiar silver-haired young woman standing before her. She was wearing a butterfly hair clip to her left part of hair, also a black cardigan atop her grey blouse combined with long black skirt. Her right hand is occupied with a book and a glasses case while she was holding a black handbag on her left. The brunette wasn't sure if she knew about this woman before, but when her expression mirrored her surprised one, with her amber eyes blinking, Risa knew that her guess is right.

"Yukina?"

.

Maya prepared the small Americano as how the woman requested, black and warm, although, when Risa excused herself to boss for greeting her old friend a bit, she saw the silver-haired woman busied herself on the self help counter nearby the coffee machine, putting in numerous block of sugar, even dripping it with a little honey and took some cream cups.

"Has it been like, seven years?" the woman begin, soft smile on her lips. "I do wonder if I can ever meet you again."

"Me too."

"Oh, the boss allowed you to get laze around? That seems convenient."

"For a little bit," Risa whispered. "If the flood of customers is in, I'll make sure to be back on my post."

For Risa, Minato Yukina was her friend next door for as long her childhood went, until Risa's parents decided to move out a few times because of work. Risa did make friends in every place where her temporary home was, but with Yukina, it's too long to forget. They ever exchanged letters for a while, but Risa stopped when she is about moving for the next home. Yukina is a Beta, if Risa recalled it right, she remembered when they are taking the test when in elementary.

Though, must Risa said, Yukina looks pretty stoic now. Risa faintly remember the cute, smiling small Yukina especially when she's meeting with a cat … it is better not to bring it up now.

"Do you live nearby?" Risa asked.

"Not really, but yeah, not too far," Yukina took a sip on her over-sweetened cup. "I'm here to search a new book for college purposes, but it seems I came too early, so I seek a coffee shop." Risa nodded to her explanation. "And you are?"

"Oh … do you know about Hanasakigawa Art School? My rented apartment is around there."

Yukina hummed. "Huh, close to Alpha's community."

"Eh, well. I'm not exactly close with them."

"So like you." she spotted Yukina chuckled. "An Alpha that doesn't look like an Alpha. I've known some high-and-mighty Alpha in my life to find that you're still a rare case as ever, Risa."

"Cut me some slack~" Risa responded with a grin. Now when Yukina mentioned it, Risa wondered if she's like that in the past, getting along with everyone and not closing to how Alpha is usually portrayed. Not all the Alpha is 'staying on their high pedestal', that Risa knew. Although, as Yukina said so, it seems she had seen the bad parts of it.

"That reminds me of something," the silver-haired woman murmured. "Not an Alpha," Risa relaxed her shoulders. "My neighbor, an Omega, is trying to look like an Alpha."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"We'll know when she's having an Estrus, but when we came to ask if she needed help, she won't answer. Outside that, though, her pheromones can't be detected, almost like how the Alpha or Beta are. Maybe it's because of medication, but," Yukina tilted her head in thinking. "Like, I don't think it's easy to conceal your pheromones with simply usual prescribed medication."

"Do you mean that she took … more than the usual prescribed dosage?" that's a plausible reason to explain Sayo's case, though, when Yukina explained it, a gnawing feeling started to take place. "… Are you living in that small apartment complex just outskirt of the city center?"

"I am—huh, how did you know?"

Great. Just great. "… Let me know if your 'neighbor' didn't come out the room after a week again because of Estrus."

"Risa?" a quirk on eyebrow.

"… Please? I, I'll explain to you later."

_It couldn't be her. Please. Not her. Please—_

 

**IV.**

Her usual night shift with Sayo is filled in with Wakamiya Eve as replacement staff.

She didn't mind to be around with overly-bushido half-Finnish Eve running around here and there with utmost energy, greeting customers with million-watt smile and also sometimes using strange choice of words as she's have yet to be accustomed with difficult Japanese sentences. It's fun to see her tending the customer or preparing her blend of Admiral Yamato, at least a bit to ease her mind over other things buzzing her.

"Risa-san, can you close the shop, please? I'll be cleaning the tables and counters!"

"Okay~"

It's already a week; on the next shift next week, she should expect Sayo to be around and her worries should plummet to nothingness. There's also no sign of Yukina contacting her except asking for her day occasionally. Risa has yet to find a reason why she was worried about Sayo, and why she was afraid if something bound to happen.

"Risa-san?" Eve popped her head away from the espresso machine when Risa came in to sweep the floor. "You've been looking to this way for some while already, does my technique bothered you?"

"Oh, uhh, no. I'm just … reminded of someone." Risa shook her head.

"Is it Sayo-san?"

"E-Eve …" Risa scratched on her cheek, she can't get away it seems. "Well, yeah. It's Sayo."

There was a hum as Eve let the steam out of the espresso machine, "Are you worried that she's not here often?" Eve's question seems to be innocent, though, it hits the spot. Risa nodded at that. "Is she your close friend?"

"No?" right, Risa is not even her friend to begin with. "But I … I don't know why I'm worried about her a lot, especially after … some incidents."

Her attraction started there when she witnessed Sayo in Estrus. It could also be an effect of the pheromones about that time, but seeing Sayo after that day, Risa conceded that it wasn't the case. Sayo is gradually seems off from her usual composed self; zoning out, dropping things often, which is not happened only for a single time. Yukina's explanation of some 'Omega' trying to be an Alpha in her neighborhood added the fuel to it. The medication used regularly to suppress pheromones has a side effects – some reported of headache and vomiting, which would be dangerous if someone about take too many. Even though the dosage for suppressant varied for each person, overdosing it is uncalled for to reach a certain level to make your pheromones undetected.

Her phone rang from her pocket, Risa quickly picked up to see 'Yukina' as the caller name.

" _Hello, Risa? Regarding of your request,"_ Yukina spoke in flat tone. _"It has been a week, but the sweet smell is as strong as ever, we tried to knock but she didn't answer."_

"—I'll be there."

Risa quickly hung up. Cold sweat bathing her forehead. _It can't be. What if she passed out there—_

"Risa-san, do you want a ride? I brought my motorcycle here."

"Thank you, Eve."

.

Yukina was waiting in front of her room, she said, room 405 on the topmost floor of the small apartment complex. As Risa rushed there, the time is already late as 11 pm, Yukina rested her back on the wide wall between the door to 405 and 406.

"… I asked my neighbor from 407 to get the spare key from the owner. We need to wait a bit. It will be not wise to break the door since it will alert everyone." She began. "Usually, I would stay away because this Omega seem to not yield on our help, but as you described, it's worrisome," Yukina seen Risa went to a daze a moment she closed in the smell wafting from the door, it's when Yukina pinched on her cheek. "Hey, now. The smell might not as strong as usual, but I do hope you're in your best behavior, Alpha."

"I—I know."

"Well? Care to finally explain me about this? Seems you're involved."

Risa told a bit about what happened; that time when Sayo's Estrus broke out and she managed to hold herself over the strong urge, biting her hands was very helpful. She also told how Risa helped Sayo home, but never told of her actual place to live. She did speak of how she behaved strangely after that event.

"… You know, I never learned of my neighbor's names as there's no name plate here." Yukina gestured under the number '406'. "Though, my neighbor from 407, she knew her name, 'Sayo', though she also wasn't able to help her when this happened."

It's almost Sayo hiding from everyone, from everything in this world – is what Yukina insinuated.

"Yukina-chan, I've got the keys!" came the voice from the stairs by south. A familiar voice that Risa knew.

"A—Aya?" the pinkette tossed the keys to Yukina, letting Yukina to open the door, blinking when she saw Risa.

"Ri, Risa-chan?" Aya pointed. "Why? Don't tell me, you're—"

"Keep quiet, both of you. We shouldn't alarm her." Yukina warned.

What visible to them as they entered is the dark room. Aya prodded for the lamp switch on the wall. As Yukina said earlier to her that the smell is not as strong, it's enough to make her overwhelmed the moment she entered. Yukina is the first to see Sayo was sitting on her bed, just straight by the doorway, nesting her body with the help of blanket. Her green eyes, red and watery, blankly staring on the door where they came in. The apartment itself is small, only a little kitchen area beside the door, facing another door that might lead to washroom. What more that's visible than Sayo, is the fact that variation of medicine with different size—pills, tablets, caplets—coloring the floor.

"A-Alpha?" Sayo suddenly speaks, though it was more of a slur. Her hand reaching out, directly to search where Risa is standing. She must be reacting in daze, Risa thought. While Risa is not strongly affected unlike that day, she still finds that 'pull' existed.

Yukina said something to her, but it fell to deaf ears as Risa instinctively embraced the Omega. Sayo murmured under her breath that she didn't quite catch, almost like a screech of pain of some sort – it's when Risa hugged her tighter.

"—I've got the injection." Aya said. "Risa-chan, keep on holding her there, okay?"

_It looks painful—her heat—and somehow it pained her too for simply watching, and she can't do anything about it._

_She can't._

* * *

 

Sayo was in her room, after taking her medicine and feeling her trembling and ragged breathing didn't stop, she took one more. Her consciousness spiraled within daze slowly after, her body growing hot and bothered. She could simply clench on her blanket, trying to nest away from her pain to no avail. When the door was open—the creak to her darkness, she recalled—she welcomed to another strong smell. Perhaps, it was when she reached out, wanting to claim, wanting to sense the comforting smell closer, until she came to reality that it's none other but that Alpha she disdained. Sayo recovered with Risa still clinging to her. She remembered faintly that she is being hugged, though she doesn't remember exactly what happened.

She couldn't do much except pulling away when she's getting better, and there was a relief there on the brunette face, just before she blanked out.

With insistence from the three, Sayo reluctantly agreed to come to hospital, for the three to know how much Sayo has been going with her suppressant medicines, also that she had a condition of a prolonged Estrus, with the result is still need to be further examined.

' _She doesn't need to be hospitalized, but, she needs someone to watch her dosage, in addition to frequent therapy._ ' so the doctor said. It's when Risa suddenly sprang up and told him that she will watch over her, much to Sayo's surprise.

"Why do you need to do that?"

Sayo asked, irritation fueled her tone. The condition might be dire, but Sayo felt that she's going to be restrained. They were waiting on the hospital longue before Sayo's name is called to get her medicine. Yukina were out to get some drink and Aya excused herself as she needed to get a phone call.

This is how she hated for being an Omega – there's no space to be independent.

"You don't want to be hospitalized either, right?" Risa said quietly. "I'm … trying to help."

When their eyes locked, Risa gave a small smile. Sayo was at the utter loss of words. Imai Risa is an Alpha she met through work, one she avoided just like others, until she discovered that Sayo is an Omega. Sayo already put a hostile display after then, hoping for the boss allowed to kindly swap her shift but it has yet to be approved. And now this Alpha came to her aid again, as if she wanted something from her.

-Right, that must be it.

"How, how can you be so kind to me? We … We hardly know each other," Sayo let out a heavy exhale. "Did you want something out of me?"

Risa's smile faded, not even a trace of its warmth remained. "Can a kindness be … without a reason?" she asked instead. "Though, I know I might be … nosy, but no, I'm not having any ulterior motive in helping you, really."

The silence is heavier now, Sayo felt it. It wasn't like Risa is angry, rather, she was close to tearing up. Feeling guilt suddenly washed over herself, Sayo wanted to speak, but Risa beat her to it.

"Look, you're – you're in bad shape. I don't know what you will think of me but I can't leave you alone after knowing your condition. I'll watch your medicine intake just like I said." She steeled her resolve. "… Please?"

Sayo wondered for a bit if a 'sincerity' is true. If it truly existed, then she might have been hurting this person—this bystander who's unwanted but swept in by the moment, or by the fate itself. She flashed back a bit to see that during their work partnership, Risa did her job and didn't yield on anything but purely professional type of work relation.

-No, she can't let her guard down. Never.

.

.

.

Or so she thought.

Apparently, Risa is your image of a real busybody. It's the first time Sayo regretted ever giving her contacts to her boss (even though it's for work-related data), and now she's getting that gradual reminder of her medicine, from Imai Risa herself.

If Sayo didn't reply on her mail, she'll call. If Sayo didn't answer her call, expect she'll be around the door knocking – only if she's free, she can always shower Sayo with phone calls until she get annoyed.

Around time of work when they have same shift, Risa will ask about her medication occasionally, which is a pain, and will stop when Sayo shot her irritated glare or verbally telling her to pipe down, but she will continue when the shift about to end before they parted ways.

Tl;dr – Imai Risa is very annoying.

"… You look tired, Hikawa-san …" was once Rinko ever said during their movie analysis group study. Sayo just hung up from the call of her dosage reminder of the week in courtesy of a certain brunette Alpha.

"Well. _Lots_ of things happened recently, can't say I'm not tired." she sighed, a long one. Hitting back on her notes, pinpointing on the line she left off and resumed the movie.

"But … I can say … you look, less pale than usual, Hikawa-san."

"Do I?"

Sayo glanced at her reflection over her phone. Her usual placid expression, with a scrunch of eyebrow remained. Just like Rinko said, she seen more vigor in it—her face, that is, usually it is paler, evenly matched with her unwelcoming face. She didn't really pay attention when she was brushing her teeth this morning, but if someone else says so, then it should be it. _Is it such a good sign, or?_

"Your … caretaker? Friend? Must've been doing a good job to make sure you're feeling okay …" Rinko commented.

 _Caretaker? Friend?_ Risa is nowhere in that list, Sayo could say. She still regarded her as 'nosy girl who's butting to someone's personal vendetta', which is even in the bottom of everything and nowhere close as friend. Sayo still can't see her motive of helping her, or that Risa could be said as 'those common Alphas' that show off to search for mates. Risa is … social butterfly, Sayo might add, and that she's kind to everyone – customers, fellow staffs, _everyone_.

[Does sincerity existed – in this world full of lies with people benefitting on each other?]

.

"At it again, eh, Risa-chan?"

"Yeah, at it again …" Risa walked back to the spot behind her canvas and easel after giving a certain Omega a call. She paid a visit to Aya's canvas, which is now filled with several rough sketch of poses. "… yeah, you're at nude again too I bet."

Aya only give Risa that innocent sounding 'ehehe'. It's Aya's third canvas after three days and she's still not satisfied with her prototype entry and keep changing even though she had it midway for the second canvas. On the other hand, Risa only put up her canvas, blank, has yet to find anything for The Gallery. Sometimes she would go back to her sketchbook, doing random sketching, and eventually going for the next class without much progressing on her entry.

Her mind has been on ease for a while now because what she had decided—to be the usual bothersome Risa. Yet, one question remain unanswered.

Risa turned back her canvas orientation to portrait. She opened her sketchbook to one of her watercolor pictures she had painted, calculating the perspective within air.

_Maybe, maybe, she needed to try putting whatever she has been sketching into bigger size, more beautiful, colorful watercolor painting breathed with life._

 

 

**V.**

Once when Risa and Sayo had the same day shift, Risa spotted Sayo sitting on the back room's sofa with a book on her hand. Their time of shift already finished, Risa just talked to Eve who will be in for night shift earlier and was about to pack up and go back to her home.

"I thought you already bolted somewhere." Risa picked a spot beside Sayo, the Omega then scooted farther, not once peeling away from her paragraphs.

"I'm almost done with this book," Sayo answered. "I need to do some analytical reviews in French."

 _French?_ "French?"

"French." Sayo finally closed the book aloud. "Is something wrong with foreign languages? Or do you not know about French? You know, France's—"

"I get it, I get it." Risa watched as Sayo switched the pocket book with a smaller notebook where she jotted notes. Guess she is in some Literature Department. When looking at Sayo's bag, she remembered something. "Oh, right! Did you have lunch yet? This morning, I've just restarted on making my lunch after so long. Want to join me?"

"It's fine." A clipped response. Risa took it as an okay.

Risa got her bag from the metal rack near the door leading to store room on the right. She produced her small lunchbox and going back to where her sitting spot was. Her lunchbox contents seem to be slipped away from her mind as she worked earlier. She just remembered when opening the box, which she packed in three different-shaped rice balls, octopus-shaped sausages, salad dressings and cherry tomatoes topped with mayonnaise, also fries.

"Fries?" she heard Sayo piped in suddenly.

"Uhh, yeah, _French_ Fries?" Risa attempted on joking, in which Sayo didn't laugh, of course. That intense stare on the fries, though, "You can have it if you want~ I sprinkled it with bonito and seaweed flakes, if you're okay with it."

"Can I?" Risa was sure she caught slight beaming on those green eyes. "Then … I'll take the offer."

Risa cut the potatoes rather thick, suddenly feeling self-conscious because it has been so long since she shared her lunch and worried of how it tasted. Sayo looked … radiant, somehow, as she finished her bites.

"… You surely made these yourself? It's looking rather … extravagant." Risa found herself slightly flustered from the praise. "Thank you, Imai-san. It's delicious."

"A, Ah. Yeah. You're welcome." Her lips thinned and stretched to a nervous smile when Sayo met her gaze. "Guess you liked fries, then?"

"Not really." And she returned her concentration to her book again - not surprised.

Must she say, Risa never thought they were able to hold a long, casual conversation. It started with work-related at first, of course, since Sayo mainly avoiding to talk about her meds, and slowly it expanded. It might be because Risa brought in a topic, or she saw Sayo doing something that becomes a chance for Risa to strike a conversation. All in all, it's pretty much relaxing to know that Risa is not being hated—scratch that, Risa knew she's annoying, butting on someone's personal space and all. Although, it was no longer that cold gaze or irritated-to-mild-disgusted stare that welcomed her.

"… Ah, it's already this late. I should … go to the hospital."

"Therapy session?"

"Yeah." Sayo collected her belongings and taking her coat from the metal rack. Spring already knocking on the door, but it's still pretty chilly.

"Want me to come with you?"

"Nope." Downright rejection, another to Risa's 'as expected' list of Sayo.

"Okay~" Risa munched on her fries. "Good work today."

"Yeah. Good work to you too."

* * *

 

The therapy session sometimes can bring a new insight, or so Sayo thought. The hospital has an Omega therapist available, and the patient could manage how long the session will take or rescheduled it as long as it meet up with the minimal monthly requirement of twice. Mostly it's a talk of how much medicine intake, and how Sayo is feeling through the week. Sometimes, the therapist recommended another cheaper brand of the suppressants, or that there's a new place opened up in downtown where you can relax without worrying much if there's Alpha or unfriendly Beta around, which is a plus to Sayo.

Usually, Sayo will come to the session also to restock her medicine so she didn't have to go back and forth to the hospital often. Who's even liking to come to a hospital for the first place?

She bowed and saying thanks to her therapist and exited the room, making a straight walk to pharmacy counter, only to bump into someone familiar – who is, sadly, she didn't want to meet.

"Onee-chan?"

Before her is a young woman that mirrored her, though not of her short, braided hair to her long wavy turquoise. She wore a white shirt rolled up to her elbow, accompanied with a grey knit vest and black pants. The grin of hers is as wide as ever, Sayo surmised, especially when she's talking to her.

It's not like she wanted a warm sisterly exchange here of all the place.

"… Hina? What are you doing here?" Sayo's tone was flat.

Hikawa Hina, her Omega younger twin sister, the sole owner of Hikawa family's fortune. The very person she avoided for her dear life over these years.

Hina swung her a plastic bag, the logo of the hospital imprinted there, "Getting my suppressants?"

"Can't you ask your bodyguards to get you one instead of you walking all the way here?"

"I'm happened in the area after meeting so I decided to pay a visit on a nearby hospital," Hina never changed, Sayo's frisky attitude and harsh way of speaking never minded her. "Anyways, Onee-chan, why did you come here from therapy ward?"

A question she wanted to avoid, how she hated Hina being so perceptive. Chewing on her lips, Sayo looked downward instead, not meeting her sister's expectant face. "… Aren't we promised that we won't get into each other's again after I left home three years ago?"

"But, Onee-chan, can I at least—"

"Mind your own business," She spat, loud enough to make Hina retracted a step, also alerting a few people waiting by the lounge. Hina had her mouth agape. "I'm leaving."

Sayo walked away, faster, increasing her speed more and more, tuning down Hina's voice in calling her name. Knowing her persistence, Sayo predicted that Hina would find out eventually what happened to her within her own power. Sayo just needed to wait until she'll narrow her address and knocking noisily on her door to no end.

_This is the worst. If her parents knew, she will surely—_

* * *

 

Yukina came by that day to the café for a shot of Admiral Yamato Coffee right before Risa's shift ended. She said that her class project running late and she missed the bus downtown so she walked instead and she happened to pass by. Since the shop going to close soon, Yukina asked for a takeout instead, also adding seven blocks of sugar to the order. Eve whispered to ask if she got the order right to Risa, in which Risa confirmed that Yukina loves her coffee black, but with lots of sugar – a.k.a a nice discrepancy.

"Someone looks happier now, I guess?" Yukina smiled. Risa was tending the cashier when Eve proceeded with the order.

"Aw, Yukina, don't speak of it so loud," the brunette put her index finger on her lips, in which Yukina responded with chuckles.

"Glad to be some help with your problem, must I say." The ashen grey-haired woman continued, putting her hands on her coat pocket as she speak. "Maruyama-san spoke to me the other day that you're now diligently caring for her meds."

"Yu-Yukina, since when you're into gossips!?" Risa took a mental note to give Aya an earful later. "But, really, there's nothing between me and Sayo than that!"

Yukina gave a head tilt, her slightly curved lips and crooked brow there showed how much skeptical she is. "I can see that. I wanted to poke fun, that's all." She added. "Are you sure to go with this? I mean, Risa, you're an Alpha."

"What about me being an Alpha?"

"Keep in mind that you're need to be careful; your choice of words, and the boundaries you would cross." A pause. Eve then recite her name for Yukina to take her coffee, when Risa stunned by the words Yukina just told her of. "I simply want to remind you, that's all."

.

Risa dabbed another white to her canvas of green as she's deep in thought of what Yukina said earlier. _Her choice of words, and the boundaries that she would cross—_ if Yukina talked about her being an Alpha, it should be tied with how she acquainted with this particular Omega. While she knew that she befriended many people, she's never been so close with an Omega, especially with sensitive personality and sensitive issue like Sayo. The society was harsh on Omega, maybe it's still carried up until now that the social discrepancy remained without her being aware.

Perhaps, Yukina was telling that how Risa—an Alpha—sees the world, is different on how an Omega sees their world.

"… Maybe I should call it a day." Risa glanced at the clock to find it is past 1 AM. She doesn't have morning class, but she wasn't really up to finish her painting now. Rather, she felt that she would change to a new canvas instead since the color mix went off and the stroke she had done turns out not as she expected.

She could ask Aya later when they meet. For now, she should take down the canvas, put the easel and her painting kit away, and rest.

* * *

 

 _Boundaries—_ she think she finally get it when that time she called, Sayo posed in a strange request. 'Can I stay at your house for a little while, Imai-san?' was something Sayo asked earlier after Risa checked about her recurring medicine intake on the phone call. The turquoise-haired woman said that she would explain the reason later, and the next day, she brought Sayo to her apartment with her head fully questioning why.

She didn't mind to have someone else to stay in her apartment room, however, Sayo is an Omega. Even though her pheromone doesn't stick out too much, why she even chose to stay there, in a place with Alphas around, in a home of an Alpha?

.

"Sorry for barging in."

Sayo bowed before she came in. She brought a medium-sized backpack with her. Risa told her the address last night and Sayo said she will come around noon, in which Risa agreed since it is Sunday. Risa planned to go out earlier to enjoy Spring's open season time sale … but guess it can wait.

"Don't worry, don't worry. Make yourself at home~" Risa welcomed her with wide smile. "Hmm, place for you to sleep … ah." Risa opened the second door near the balcony. Sayo tilted her head when she caught the rustling sound of things moved. She approached the door to see Risa moved out easels and some empty canvases to the center, leaving the room clean. "I'll get you a futon here. Don't worry. I only used this room for storing my easel."

"Are you in Art major?"

"I am. Did it surprise you?"

"Well, you look like someone from business major." or maybe culinary, seeing how her lunch was. Or maybe beauty department, looking at how up-to-date her choice of clothing is versus the monthly trend, or so Yukina ever said.

Risa disappeared inside the other room and Sayo casted her glance to her new surroundings.

Sayo was greeted by a spacious living room paired with lavish-looking kitchen with corner counter and various utensils after the entrance. The floor is composed of wood, giving her steps a different echo as she walked. There are two doors leading to rooms lined up by the left side of the big living room, and beyond the kitchen area, a big window leading to balcony. It's totally different from her small world, and the neighborhood seems crowded; more with Alphas and college students from nearby campus. What bothered her most is not the fact that there is a lot of Alpha there, but the scent that lingered as soon as she entered the apartment room.

This scent – Risa's – was already something she's familiar with, especially when that time Risa hugged her during her prolonged Estrus.

"… Is something wrong, Sayo?" Risa's voice zoomed in. Sayo turned to see Risa was about to go and set up the futon.

Sayo shook her head. "Let me help you—"

"No, no. I'm fine. Just sit there on the sofa. I'll be done in a minute!"

There was only one dark brown sofa there in the living room, close to the kitchen counter's end, accompanied by a low coffee table. It looks really comfortable, and there's cat-shaped cushion there which she put on the lap as she sit in waiting. Even the cushion is coated with Risa's scent – ah, maybe this is how it is to know distinctive smell of an Alpha; it haunts, it follows, it never let you go.

"… Can I make tea instead?" Sayo asked.

"Oh, okay!" Risa shouted from the room. "Just get what you need from the cupboard!"

.

.

.

Sayo explained her terms while they are enjoying the tea. Because she's making tea often, even though there's only simple tea bags in her home, Risa could tell that Sayo get the water too hot that made the taste of tea bolder. Of course she didn't tell Sayo about it, it is simply a trivial matter rather than what the turquoise-haired Omega wanted to share in regard of her sudden request.

"And so, I'll stay here until that person stopped pursuing me. It should be … around two or three weeks." Sayo finished, her fingers crossed on her lap. "I'll be leaving early for college. I'll go back early if there's no part time work, but I'll always tell you whether I'll be here earlier or I'll be coming late because group projects."

Sayo said that 'someone she once knew' started to pursue her because they accidentally meet in the hospital when Sayo wanted to get her therapy session. Seeking refuge, she opted to stay at somewhere far to avoid this person. She couldn't stay nearby with the help of Aya or Yukina since the person will surely find her, and then Aya suggested for Sayo to ask Risa instead, since Risa lived pretty far—the opposite way from the area.

"Though, is this someone a … debt collector?"

"No. She's my younger twin." Sayo quietly sip her tea.

Risa blinked. She flashed back at the _'someone whom Sayo once knew'_ , "Family problem?"

"… I'm sorry, but I won't say anything more than that." _Boundaries, Risa. Boundaries._ She mentally slapped herself. "If, if you're bothered with the idea of me staying here, I … can seek somewhere else to stay."

"It's okay~ I don't mind if you stayed, really~"

"You have my sincerest thanks."

"Uhh, no, you don't have to bow, Sayo. I'm just helping a friend." Risa said. "She doesn't know about your college?"

"She knew, but she won't get there easily. My campus grounds are quite restricted to non-civvies."

Risa comprehended with a nod. Basically, Sayo asked for somewhere to stay – far and undetected - from her family because of some problems that she better off not knowing. Her tone from last night indicated that she really 'have no other place to go'. Thankfully, Sayo is not using another reckless measures like when she was overdosed, and asked for help—Risa should be sure to make Sayo feel at ease, at least.

The word 'boundary', however, still looping inside her mind. _They are still an Alpha and an Omega, there's an invisible line that barred them._

* * *

 

Scent.

Alpha, Beta and Omega have different, special kind of scent that one could differ who's who. Omega is naturally the one with strongest smell, alike a beautiful flower attracting numerous butterfly to flock in. Alpha has its unique scent which is not as strong, but Omega can tell Alphas out of the crowd. Beta is unaffected with Omega's pheromones also unable to attract, be it a plain flower that could be said as a weed at the first glance.

 _Scent._ Sayo sat up on her temporary futon, getting a bit of morning headaches as a particular scent breathed in. Of course, this house belongs to Risa, and she already understand the risk to be there.

If Sayo about to describe Risa's scent: it is musky but soft, like how coffee beans are roasted and blended in, but it's concealed by the presence of milk and drops of vanilla essence. It wasn't a smell that disturbed her, not so much anymore. Perhaps, she is already used to it, still, she needed a moment to cool down – as it never failed to make her cheeks lit aflame and her heart rate spiked. It's a natural reaction, Sayo knew, to catch a sweet scent too long will be far from health, and she also knew that the counterpart Alpha might feel the same.

Sayo said to Risa that she will be up and left "early", but Sayo could never beat the owner of the house as the morning riser. The turquoise-haired Omega could hear a faint clank of pan and spatula, Risa must have been cooking for breakfast. She should be up and about from her temporary room soon.

.

There's also one natural way to tone down her body reaction against Alpha's smell, which is quicker than waiting for time to heal – which is, without doubt, suppressant medicine.

.

.

.

"Good morning, Sayo."

Risa would say the moment she heard the creak from the other door. The brunette would smile and Sayo dragged her feet to go borrow the bathroom sink to brush her teeth and wash her face. Risa put a final touch to breakfast and her own lunch box before cleaning up, waiting Sayo to show up and pull one of the chair near the counter to sit.

Risa would hear a pop from a bottle opening followed by a rattling shake. Sayo is taking out one pills and drank it before moving to food.

"Remember, you already taken your dose for a day." There kicked her daily reminder.

Sayo closed her eyes, letting the nth number of pills running in her throat without Risa counting. "Yeah."

* * *

 

The warmth of spring crept by the silent atelier, Risa noted as she watched flower petals dancing within the wind beyond the part of window she left open. She ended up bringing her work-in-progress canvas there and started to work when she's fully alone. Aya's occasional dropping by will be spent with her talking or watching the pinkette empowering her nude masterpiece. She seem to be halfway done, already decided to go on with 24x62" landscaped with oil and grainy bits. Risa, on the other hand, opted for 20x50" in watercolor.

Aya at times would ask why Risa didn't do her paintings, in which Risa would response that 'her piece is still composed in secret codes'.

Risa haven't touched her actual canvas aside doing the rough pencil outline, and there she would stare back and forth to her canvas and her sketch book to see if she did something wrong – or rather, she has been choosing a wrong object to be her project.

There are lingering doubts in her mind regarding what Risa had chosen. Risa couldn't think of anything else to paint and the deadline is closing in. If she messed up with the planning, she wouldn't get the luxury time to put up with a great finishing. While her goal didn't evolve from fulfilling the deadline, Risa didn't want to mess up with her reputation as a student to submit an easy piece - she discarded her comfort zone of oil paintings and nature scenery or unmoving objects away from the picture, Risa challenged the perspective and human's expression with the help of colors and strength of strokes.

Moments passed by as she tweaked her sketches, her phone on the far side of the desk buzzed with two messages by then. One from Aya and one from Sayo.

Two weeks have passed since Sayo decided to take refuge in her home. Repeatedly Risa would ask if Sayo is okay being there and if the threat already gone. Sayo insisted that she will be there for another week at least, makes Risa wondered if her 'younger twin' is so persistent or something. Sayo only texted her over important issues. Outside that, Risa would take reminder of her medicine when they met around morning. Sayo would stay in her room a lot if there is nothing to do, and Risa didn't bother her for the slightest.

"Oh, Sayo will be home late because some group study … and, huh? Aya left her camera here?" Risa cocked her head to the tables where they usually put their equipment, a black camera bag is there. "How can she be so clumsy? The camera is expensive~"

Risa has time before her night shift, might as well drop by to Aya's place and take the camera there before going to work.

.

One thing that's strikingly out of place when Risa walked to the small apartment complex where Aya and Yukina in, is that there's a grand black limousine parked there, occupied most of the vacant spot available. Camera bag slung on her left shoulder, Risa continued treading casually to find another misplaced things, as women in black—black suit and black glasses—occupied the corner of every floor. Risa came to the fourth floor in one piece, she pressed on Aya's doorbell.

" _Who is it, Hina-chan again?"_

Hina? Who's that? "It's me and your camera."

" _Oh, Risa-chan!"_ and so the door swung open. Risa handed the bag to the grinning Aya. "I thought you were her, Hina-chan."

"This … 'Hina'?" Risa tilted her head. "Is it related to this … uhh guards?"

When Aya whispered, 'ah here she is', Risa directed her attention to the bouncy steps echoing the fourth floor. A young woman is walking closer, dressed in set of gray suit, hands on her pants pocket. There also few women in black trailing behind her, but that woman - she was smiling ear-to-ear in contrast to the air of professionalism that the crowd exuded. When Risa examined her closer, she finally grasp her eye color—which is the same as a certain someone. Maybe because all the bright, cheeky grin she had, Risa almost fail to notice the similarities.

"You guys can wait for me downstairs, commoners will look at me weird~" she spoke to the women in sing-song voice. "Thank you for helping me to get here again today."

Before the short-haired woman knocked on the 406, Risa spoke, "Are you … Hikawa Sayo's … twin sister?"

It directly hit the corporate woman's attention, she turned with mouth agape, "… You, you know about my Onee-chan?" Ah, a bulls-eye. This Hina straighten up and approached Risa, Aya was confused as of why Risa 'opened' the secret. "Hmm? You're an Alpha, though? Are you not lying to me that you know about Onee-chan? She never come near Alphas."

They are twins, so Risa assumed that her younger sister is an Omega too, Risa picked up a stench of sweet pheromone, albeit faint. Though, Hina is still showing her carefree self in front of Risa, unlike her older twin. "I don't exactly know her, but … I can answer some of your questions about her, if you have any."

"Is that so?" Risa was sure those eyes lit, glimmering with curiosity like digging a treasure chest. "Guess you have some questions on your sleeve too, then?"

Hina knew what she is getting at, it seems. As long as she's not saying anything about Sayo's whereabouts, it should be fine, Risa thought. She simply wanted to know what kind of persistence that this 'evil' younger twin to Sayo holds in her cup.

"How about we talk somewhere else, then? I do think Aya-chan there would be bothered if we are talking here."

Sneaking a glance to assure everything will be alright, Risa left dumbfounded Aya, to follow step of Hina with her bodyguards to somewhere.

[ What will her curiosity leads her to? ]

* * *

 

Hina only escorted Risa to nearby diner. Again, she dismissed the crowd of guards behind her, telling them to spend time somewhere and saying that it will be okay if they used her bill to get food. The total of guards, the appearance of limousine, and how Hina dressed: it already told Risa that this 'Hikawa' is not an ordinary fellow.

Risa started to doubt that this 'Hina' is a fraternal twin from Sayo, although, what can define a person is from their personality, not how they were born. Sayo could be cold and unwelcoming, but it doesn't mean her younger twin should be about the same. What Risa can see from Hina is the very description of the daylight - the bright smile, the laidback nature – she wasn't a person suited to wear an uptight formal suit like how she is now, because how friendly she is to her subordinates. All of the guards that Hina dismissed bowed for a bit long, before they dispersed away from the area with smiles on their faces and salutations to her boss—does Hina even fit to be one? Highly unlikely.

"First, hmm. I guess I should start with giving you my business card," Hina rummaged insides of her coat, pulling one white card and shoving it for Risa to accept. "Hikawa Hina, Hikawa Corporation Group's CEO … umm, yeah, that's not important now. Just call me Hina."

-And, no. Risa didn't expect the last bits of 'Hikawa Corp. Group' and 'CEO' – especially the 'Hikawa Corp. Group', it is one of multilevel company with great percentage of stock in the city, or must Risa say, in the country's stock market. _Hell_ , Risa couldn't help but only swallow. _This is unbelievable,_ Sayo is coming from that rich Hikawa family.

"I'm Risa. Imai Risa. I'm … one of your sister's co-workers."

"Okay so, Risa-san." A pause. "Do you know where Onee-chan is?"

"Sadly, no. The last time I meet her was two weeks ago."

Hina hummed. "Hmm, Onee-chan is always good at running away, isn't she?" Risa couldn't object that. "You are an Alpha, how can you be Onee-chan's friend?"

"Let's say, I helped her a few times," _which is not completely a lie_ , _or rather, she might have done a great job to corner her instead_. Risa omitted most part of her explanation, making it brief that her and Sayo doing hand-in-hand during her shift, speak of Sayo and her excellence at work, also how Sayo has been very helpful to her during the busy hours. "And we … we're starting to be friends because that? Kind of."

There was her light hum again, this time a bit longer. "I see," she rested her chin on her palm. There's a fraction of her expression mellowed after her smile. "Our parents are worried since I saw the record she had an overdose on her suppressants, and they sent me out to get her, but …"

Risa waited as there was a hesitation when Hina's tongue clicked. "But?"

"We—I and Onee-chan—we had a promise in the past that I won't bother her after she's gone," Hina's lips stretched to a smile, not as blinding as before, just a stretch. "I'm sad to discover that Onee-chan pushed herself … and she didn't tell me about it."

 _If that time Risa didn't step out to help Sayo – what will become of her now, that she even turned down her younger sister to know her well-being?_ —what Risa is doing right now is protecting Sayo's whereabouts out of her request, but after hearing Hina's side of story, she slowly hesitated.

"Oh, but I broke her promise, huh," Hina laughed dryly. "Maybe it's better to leave her be, after all. Onee-chan must have hated me for breaking our promise." Risa felt a pang of guilt on her chest, and it gets heavier the more she heard Hina's side of story. Her face lit up again. "At least I know about Onee-chan more, thank you for talking to me, Risa-san. I hope you can tell me if you stumbled with her next time, okay?"

.

Little did Risa know, around that time, she had overstepped the _line_ —

.

.

.

"We need to talk."

It's the first time Sayo sensed pressure in Risa's tone. Risa was coming home rather late after her shift, Sayo is holed in her room with a book when Risa knocked on her door. Risa didn't bother to take off her coat and gestured Sayo to sit wherever or simply standing there in front of her.

Risa apologized that she had bothered Sayo's time, but this is an urgent talk, or so she quoted. The brunette Alpha fidgeted before she began with, "I talked with your younger sister this afternoon."

Sayo's expression when she uttered the beginning of her story, was as expected. Twisted in anger and anguish, brimmed with shock and anxiety, teeth gritted in suppressed fury. "… Why are you doing that?" she balled her fist. "Who asked you to?"

"Look Sayo, I'm … I'm worried, about you." Risa couldn't face Sayo's anger, she can't, but she tried – gripping on the hem of her sleeve to tamper her emotion. "Why are you running away …?"

She knew nothing about Sayo, and yet she stepped in after that time she happened to set foot on her layers of guard once. She understood nothing of Sayo aside of her unfriendliness and hostility towards many that Risa has yet to discover. She adhered nothing of what Sayo is thinking with her surroundings, why she chose to take risky path instead taking an easier road. She knew nothing. Imai Risa is nothing. Imai Risa is simply another Alpha who's thinking high of herself to be able to help Hikawa Sayo, an Omega, but ended up wounding her, injuring her pride. –Risa only know to interfere. Risa only know to get in the way. She knows _nothing_ to help.

"What do you even know about me to start lecturing me, Imai-san? You don't even know _anything_ about me," Sayo retorted. "Do you know what _I_ havebeen through!?" another spike of tone. "I'd rather die than coming back to them."

There was a slap to Sayo's cheek, hard. The turquoise-haired woman widened at the impact, at the strength that send her aback. Risa choked a breath. _How can she say that—how can a word death slipped easily from her lips?_

" _Sayo._ Your sister, your family are worried about you, too. How can you say that!? Can you stop acting tough while you can't survive with only yourself!?" the brunette is in the verge of tears. Sayo was nowhere relaxed, her jaws clenched even more with Risa's outburst – which is not helping. "... Do whatever you wish, I—I don't know what to do with you anymore."

By the next minutes, as fast as their fights started, Sayo packed her things and go away, leaving Risa with single frigid glare, and the warning for Risa to not search for her or to tell her sister anything.

 _Her choice of words, and the boundaries that she would cross_. Everything already crumbled to the pieces of void, nothing left to recover.

 

 

**VI.**

About a month has passed since the boss posted a notice of part time job vacancy and no one suited to fill in. Some not used with the flexible shift, some turned down because the load of job, some said they couldn't handle customers well – Maya has been dealing with newcomer trying and going with her utmost patience.

"Not this time, boss?" Risa patted at the boss' shoulder as she slumped on the table after the night shift ended.

Maya is the one who'll evaluate the newcomer who tried, so Maya has been supervising a lot in the café on every shift. Not everyone who's coming for work trial is an easy people to deal with, to boot. Perks to be the business owner, so Risa can say, though she can sympathize her boss' tiredness when she ended the shift hour with that tired fuhehe of hers. Risa could only lend her ears to listen on her boss' whining.

"Hopefully next time, Risa-san," the twenty-six year old café owner smiled. "Also it's hard to make anyone replicate coffee blend like Blumensarg, if they didn't have an idea to create their own brand."

Maya did teach every newcomer to make specialized blend for tea or coffee and let them create something unique. For example, Admiral Yamato coffee is Eve's specialty, but as the one who taught every basic, Maya knew the ingredients to how it is done. Blumensarg, the specialized coffee blend belonged to a certain someone who had resigned a month ago, is also the same – Maya can make it, and she could teach anyone how to make one.

Risa cleaned the espresso machine as she heard the boss went on with her share of story.

"… I'm still surprised to remember when Sayo-san giving me that letter of resignation, I thought something is up." Maya suddenly speak. "I mean, she is enjoying her work here. Maybe she already found a permanent work somewhere?"

"Maybe so." Risa added, not bothering to make an eye contact.

A month has passed, single month closer to end the Spring, one month stripped away near the deadline of her project, and one people leaving from her life.

About her project, she hasn't feeling like touching her canvas all these weeks. Aya already finished with hers and busied herself with her side jobs now. She did say Risa could ask for her help to finish her work if needed, and Risa took it on consideration.

Meanwhile, Yukina and Aya said that the room 406's occupant is not going anywhere, but she is hardly ever home. Risa didn't bother to come closer or announce her visit when she's nearby to see Yukina or to search for Aya, after all, she is told to take a distance, and the turquoise-haired Omega did her best to make their distance even farther, which is good. Everything is better when they are nobody, it only takes time for Risa to quell from her mixed of emotions and her wound.

The unanswered question remained unsolved and it is kept hidden inside her heart's Pandora box for eternity to come: _why she tried to care – while she didn't know anything about the person she cared for?_ – Risa did try to come up with how she is and Alpha and the other is Omega that it's only a natural course of reaction. The answer itself doesn't add up everything, but it is better than she kept questioning and questioning without no end.

"Risa-san? I heard a loud buzzing from back room, is it your phone that rings?" Maya asked the moment she dried up the cloth before helping Risa to clean up the tables.

 _Phone?_ Risa made a haste to the back room to search for her bag.

The vibration has died, Risa opened the lock to see that there is twelve missed calls from a number that doesn't belong to her contact. Thinking it might be a prank call, Risa turned off the volume and the vibration notice – and the caller tried to reach her again once more. The brunette hesitated a bit before swiping it to green.

" _Risa-san?"_ the voice on the calling end was shaking, though Risa didn't know what kind of emotion the caller holds up. _"I—I have been trying to contact you since earlier. God. Where have you been!?"_

"Hina …? What happened?" and where she did get her number, Risa might ask, but it's irrelevant right now.

" _It's an emergency. Come to the hospital. Now."_ Risa blinked upon the mention of hospital. _"It's … It's about Onee-chan."_

And Risa wasted no single breath to rethink.

* * *

 

When she's coming to the hospital, Hina has been waiting for her on the lobby. Her eyes looked moist and her face flushed, tiredness looks apparent there as she sighed. Her usually neat shirt is crooked, even her tie looked loose and out of place. Risa was rooted on the ground when Hina met her eyes, narrowing and unreadable.

The attention of several lobby's occupants are directed to them, Hina especially.

"What have you done …?" was Hina's initial question. Those hands found its way to grab on Risa's blouse's collar. "Didn't you … say that you'll protect her?"

"I … didn't? I'm, I'm simply her friend. I did acquainted with her, yes, but I don't know anything about her." _yeah, like anything at all,_ Risa might quote. How she used her past tense, Hina must have realized that there is a visible gap between her and Sayo.

"Don't lie to me." Hina spatted. "That day when we met, I smell Onee-chan's scent over you. Are you saying that you are not her Alpha?"

"I'm not." Risa said firmly. "I'm not her Alpha. You can check for yourself."

A hint of bewilderment still present upon the young CEO's face, though she retracted her hand from Risa's collar. Hina then took a sit there on one of the vacant seat, burying her face to her palms. Risa tried to approach Hina, but she doesn't bother to sit.

"Onee-chan … I came to her home planned to see her but when I see the door is unlocked, I saw her," a shaky exhale. "She—she collapsed near the entrance. I, I was panicked. I don't know what to do if Onee-chan is gone." the day when they fought resurfaced on the back of her mind. How she slapped Sayo, how she told her to go and do whatever she wished - it felt bitter on her tongue, suffocated her chest, and carried weight to her shoulders. "Doctors said that she overdosed her medicine and it might affect her systems. It would be days before Onee-chan regained her consciousness and she will be monitored thoroughly."

Sayo went back to her abusing medicine spree, Risa scrunched her face in regret.

"Risa-san? I'm, I'm sorry. You don't know anything, but I lashed it to you." Hina uttered. "I'm … sorry."

"There's no need. I'm at fault too for not watching her …" _and being furious to her that time without thinking what Sayo might feel, what Sayo might 'see' from her world._ Risa nudged on Hina's hand. "Can I see where Sayo is?"

.

Sayo wasn't her responsibility.

Sayo is nobody to her.

Yet, to know what had taken place while that time she tried hard to avoid it from happening and the bad _finally_ happens - it's mortifying.

Risa did decide to look for Sayo on her own selfish whims, though she knew that it wasn't needed; Sayo never needed her in her life, she wanted to be alone from what she has been doing.

She thought she didn't want anything from Sayo, but when thinking about it now, she might have wanted something.

_Is it simply to make her stop doing reckless things? / Is it to make sure that she tried to get help and not to push herself to do everything on her own? / Or is it something more?_

They didn't allow visitors yet that night, Hina brought her to one of VIP rooms located on the second floor. The name plate 'Hikawa Sayo' is there, and since it's VIP area away from the waiting lounge and other wards, it's pretty much silent and empty. Hina spoke to the nurse there before she joined Risa who's watching the room through the small window on the door - Sayo was being tended with doctors there.

"... Ah, they said that it's unknown when Onee-chan will wake up, but it should be soon. For now, we can only let her rest." Hina quoted.

Should Risa even here to begin with? Sayo hated her and didn't want to see her face again, should she ever come again?

* * *

 

"What? You want to scrap your finished painting again?" Aya nodded. Risa asked why Aya is concentrating on the new set of fresh canvas as she set foot on the atelier. "Why? I think your latest painting is already good."

"Hmm, let's say I changed my mind after things that happened~" Aya answered, she took her pencil again and started. Risa took a chair and sit closer to Aya's easel. The pinkette absorbed to her own scope of ideas, donning her fluffy hair in short pony. "You don't continue your painting yet?"

"... Maybe later." scratching the back of her neck, Risa let out a nervous laugh. Right, her painting, it has been a long time.

"And, you will be coming to hospital again after this?"

"Yeah."

Aya already know what happened. Risa told both Aya and Yukina about Sayo the next day. It wasn't like Risa is blamed, rather, both of them said sorry that they didn't know anything about Sayo aside from her recurring absence from her room. That one month gap between them, Risa started to wonder what did Sayo do by then and why, of all the things, she is back to her overuse of medicine again.

"I heard from Yukina-chan that a case of suppressant overdose is recurring, since most Omegas didn't want to be known by Alphas," Aya said. "Oh, Yukina-chan said that based on her college assignment's analysis."

"She's into that psychology, eh?" Risa did see Yukina walked with book about psychology often when she visited the cafe, so that must be what the silver-haired woman majored. "Why do you ask about it to Yukina?"

"I'm curious, since my boss is a polar opposite of Sayo-chan," Aya kept her eyes to the canvas. "I mean, my boss is kind of avoiding Omegas due to issues, so I wanted to know more about Alphas and Omegas."

"That's not so like you to be curious about … difficult stuffs." Risa jeered.

"Hey, that's mean~" Aya brushed.

"Why are you taking it that way, though? It's … it's only your boss." Risa fiddled with Aya's color palettes, the one she haven't touched as she focused on making strokes of lines.

Aya's penmanship halted, "Hmm, I do wonder why." she changed from pencil to thicker charcoal now. "Maybe I'm attracted? I want to know her more? She's interesting?"

 _Attracted. Interested._ Something clicked inside Risa's mind. Attraction surely fits in the hollow description of what she is feeling right now, and so is interest. She did find Sayo's professionalism with her work interesting, but more of it when she knew that Sayo is a picky eater. She is shown to be stoic, frigid and unwelcoming, but it also came with soft side, as she always take a moment to appreciate things that she liked and being vocal of what she hated.

Is that really it, attraction - which makes Risa yearned to acknowledge her more? Things which makes Risa to go her way to help her? Wasn't sympathy a better word to define it rather than attraction, in that sense?

"-Well, enough of me and my boss." Aya shrugged. "Risa-chan, it's your turn to tell me."

"H-Huh, what is it?"

"It's about Sayo-chan, duh. I and Yukina-chan are worried that you're less than your usual spirited self. It must be because of her, right, right?" the pinkette pointed with her charcoal tip.

"What are you talking about, really?" Risa feigned ignorance.

"Oh you're hopeless." The pinkette sighed. "You told us about the fight, and then she's in hospital again because her recklessness. You have been worried for her rather than angry at her, nee?"

"But … I'm just getting in her way. Also, she doesn't want to see me anymore."

Aya gave a knowing look, Risa glanced away instead.

_She wanted to make sure Sayo is okay now, that's at least some length to her selfishness already. After that, she could pull away all she wished for._

* * *

 

Risa had lost count how many times she suddenly chickened out the moment she walked past the crowded part of the hospital to the silent VIP ward. She wore a simple red hoodie with jeans today, in contrast to her usually seasoned choice of clothes or accessories.

Risa passed by several people, only watched them coming and going through the hospital main entrance with their own business, visiting relatives or friends, lining up to buy medicine from apothecary, getting appointments for check-up or therapy session, or waiting for their names to be called by the nurse to meet the physician. Once Risa felt that it's enough distracting to ease her mind, she will surely walk to the second floor.

It feels almost similar when she met Sayo after Risa helped with her estrus, though with more guilt and more idea to go away and forget instead steeling her will.

Her hand stopped from opening the door as she heard a shouting from inside.

" _Why are you coming here? I never agree to come back home."-_ it belonged to Sayo. There's a soft woman's voice come to explain that Risa couldn't catch.

Her mint green eyes peeked through the window, there stood a big man in suit beside a turquoise-haired woman with expensive-looking cream-colored dress. More retort is coming from Sayo as they-seemingly her parents-attempted to speak and reason with her daughter.

' _I don't need your pity.' 'Leave me alone'._ – and it still goes on. Her ears stung.

"Risa-san, you're here today," came a soft voice beside her. Hina was present in more casual clothes, checker shirt and navy blue inner t-shirt with bead necklace, also short skirt. Now she looked more of young woman in her age, Risa thought. "… I think it's better you didn't hear that."

Hina took Risa away from the room, stopping when she saw a vending machine that housed several soft drinks and tea. Hina offered whether Risa wanted one, in which Risa declined. There was a long sofa bench nearby where Risa decided to sit. Hina then followed, tossing a can of lemon soda to her lap.

"Guess you've heard that." The short-haired CEO popped open her can. An audible sizzle is there. "That's how Onee-chan is when she met our parents." Risa didn't stop Hina from speaking more. "She always hated how our parents expected her to live within set rules, that's why she bailed out."

Risa only held the can on her hand absent-mindedly, not even thinking to drink it. "Are you sure you can tell me this?"

"Oh, but aren't you curious, Risa-san?" Hina grinned. "When Onee-chan came to, I have chance to talk with her for a bit." The brunette snapped her attention to Hina now, who's giggling. "She told me of how pushover you are. I thought you were really her Alpha."

"I'm not." she digressed. How come Hina have to repeat that again?

"Onee-chan is sensitive, so I've never thought she will have a friend. To know you're such a busybody over her, too, well, I guess that's the only way to get in her circle." The description is kind of mean, but that is exactly how Sayo is: a closed, fully-guarded castle of defense.

"Wait—Sayo talked about me? But … how?"

"Oh, I told that I called you first when I know Onee-chan collapsed," huh, Hina spilled the beans, no use hiding it to Sayo, then. "Well, I only talked to her briefly since it's the time for another check-up."

Risa nodded vehemently. Hina then mentioned how they will hold up Sayo for some more days there to monitor her medicine intake and whether her systems might be affected. She also needed to continue with the therapy, in which she had left in span of one month. The younger twin also said for Risa to not worry since Sayo is not hooked up with any machines, all she had done within her days in hospital mostly sleeping or reading, her intake of pills are monitored by the nurse and in case her Estrus hits, she could call the nurse for injection.

"Though, I can say you should come to visit for another day, Risa-san." Hina thrown the finished can to nearby trash bin. "Let Onee-chan be for now. It's no good when our parents visited."

The brunette agreed; throwing more fuel to a raging fire is never an option. Risa could always visit anytime later, as long as her courage is more prominent rather than her attempt to chicken out.

* * *

 

"Why are you here?" was Risa's expected response when she showed up to visit Sayo after her day shift, and oh, how Risa wanted to laugh when hearing that it's exactly like that.

Risa is relieved to see Sayo didn't shove an irritated gaze when she's coming by, her jittery steps gradually went easier as she approached the bed. "I brought you flowers too~" Risa took a small bucket of colourful daisies from her bag—Yukina's choice—and set it in the vase. Sayo watched her and the flower with disinterest.

.

"You haven't answered my question."

"I want to see how you are doing," Risa tidied up the flowers and discarded the plastic wrappings. "Can't I?"

Maybe Sayo was close to forget how persistent Risa is. Hina must have been informing her about Sayo's condition too. Realizing it, Sayo only sighed, resting her back to the bed again. Risa asked if she could sit there by the available chair and whether she—they—can talk, Sayo didn't say no.

"I'm sorry."

Suddenly Risa spoke, Sayo's eyes widened in response.

"Why a sorry?"

"If, if only that day I didn't see Hina, you won't be …" Risa trailed off, chewing on her lips. "… anyway, I'm glad to see you are okay."

While Sayo remembered clearly how that day happened when she pushed Risa away and answered her taunts, she doesn't recall any of the malice. It's true that because of how that day turned and to know Risa overstepped her boundaries, she was closer to her death. Yet, when she opened her eyes to see Hina—of how relieved she was to see Sayo still alive—and how her parents looked like they are genuinely worried for once.

When feeling her life was close to fleeting away, there she suddenly sense something was off. _Why she's so pathetic? She is so self-centered._

"I should be sorry too."

She couldn't blame Risa over what had happened, it was unreasonable to push her own will without stating a clear reasoning. She can't say it's wrong for Risa to be curious.

"Huh?"

"For yelling at you. For making you worried." Sayo looked on her lap as she speak.

"Heh, guess we're even, then?"

There, after long while, she saw that smile again - Risa's type of warm smile, brimmed with kindness and sincerity, fitting her so well instead her thin or downturned silence of lips.

It makes her warm inside, too.

* * *

 

Not long, Risa's visit becoming frequent, just like how she and her calls of medicine reminder was—not like Sayo can stop her from doing so. Usually, it's after her art class, which is around afternoon visiting hour, or after her night shift, late at night for only thirty minutes before the nurse found and dragged her away. While her room is private room where it's free of usual scheduled visiting hour, Risa could be noisy to the point the nurse had to scold her for coming late and 'bother the patient'.

There hasn't been news of her release day, so what to entertain her is Hina coming by in spite her tight work schedule or Risa.

It has been quite natural that their conversation started or morphed to work-related topics, with Risa saying that the boss Yamato Maya didn't bother if Sayo took her position again after she is discharged. About one month of her disappearance from Risa's sight, she confessed that she did several small part time jobs in between her college hours, though it's nearing her exam week so she's unable to earn much – she would be glad if she can take up the pedestal of barista again.

Sayo becoming a bit self-conscious when Risa said that no newcomer able to copy her concoction of Blumensarg, in which Risa picked up to tease her to the point Sayo wanted to shoo her away.

Hina has been helping her to juggle her college's assignments during the time she is away. Sayo had lots of time other than when she's going to therapy or doctors coming to check up on her and running few lab tests, so she doesn't fall back too far from college materials. Hina did ask if Sayo allowed 'Shirokane Rinko' to come and visit her, but Sayo said to Hina for assuring Rinko that she will be okay and she will be back to the college soon.

As she is not occupied with her buzzing daily lives per usual, Sayo got time to think, especially at how everyone is worried and how narrow-minded she is.

Also, what she got in mind is her doctor's warning if her Estrus is coming – that it will be more painful as the overdosing interfered with her systems. The doctor prescribed right dosage to help with her Estrus and Sayo could always press the nurse button in case she wanted the special injection, still, it bothers her to get that kind of warning.

.

When it happened, though, it seems she really underestimated it.

How her body ached, how her body burning up more, how her heartbeat gradually increasing, how suffocating it is to simply breathe—

Sayo found her hand reached for her non-existent pills on the nightstand, her usual refuge, to grasp air. Gripping tightly on her blanket, she nestled herself in – she doesn't want anyone to come, she can't even think straight aside that she needed her meds, her meds and _just her meds_.

Sleep never come easy when she's in the middle of heat. There's always her meds, or she will be lucky if she passed out quickly. The pain always found her way to torture her more than she's being in comfort, must she say. Tears continued to stream down from her eyes as there's coming intense jolt of pain.

.

"—Sayo?"

It was a middle of night. She heard a faint voice calling, as if her heat making her delusional. Sayo tried to see from her nestled blanket around her. A shadow approaching her dark room, not until her focus sharpened to finally see that it is _her_.

_The owner of that sweet scent._

"Sayo?" Her name is being called again, Risa reached for her who curled up there, not close to touch her. She must have understood what happened as she quickly pulled. Her smell must have filled the room too- "I should call the nurse—"

Her hand instinctively reached, this time, she nudged Risa's arms and stopped her from going. Sayo remembered how many times her body acted on its own, how she gravitated towards the Alpha. But then, the Alpha was kind – or she's within God's mercy that she wasn't being 'taken' away yet. She already aware of that scent, the musky scent, and now it's within her grasp, again.

"Help … me, please …" but the voice escaped from Sayo's lips is alike a hiss rather than coherent. What reflected on her eyes is shocked, Risa with open mouth and rigid stature. "It—It hurts."

Risa sucked in a breath, thinking of how many times she managed to hold her ground after the sweet scent lingered, as if calling her very being to act rashly. That time when Sayo is close but her smell faded, Risa was able to hug her, also there are Betas there that might stop her. The present, however, it is different, they are alone. Inside, she was shaking. In front of her, Sayo is begging for help, Sayo clutched on her arms, the distance between their faces almost nil, Sayo pulled her strings, Sayo—

"… Can you sit up?"

Risa took the trembling hand, helping the dazed Omega to steady herself. The brunette then climbed the bed, taking in the vacant spot there before easing Sayo's weight to her lap. Sayo instinctively draw her hands to conceal her nape, the very place where Risa found it hard to tear her attention away.

"It's okay, Sayo. I won't bite." Even her breath went clipped, she hated it. This is how it feels to be close within the source of heat, the Omega – her heart running miles already. "I'm here to help you."

 _Sayo asked for help, she needed help._ With that in mind, Risa circled her hand on Sayo's waist, pulling her closer so Sayo leaning her back to Risa. _Her skin is burning_ , Risa sensed it – it send her body tingling too.

As she's shorter than Sayo, she could rest her chin to Sayo's shoulder, and there Sayo shivered.

"Imai … san."

Her voice went with heavy breath, husky and inviting. Risa inched her nose to brush on the skin of her neck, inhaling on the scent of Sayo. Risa loosened Sayo's hospital pants from her. Her touch to between the legs illicit a hitched gasp, slowly making its way to insides of the damp panties. Sayo bended forward as Risa started rubbing on her entrance, whimpering. Down there also, Sayo was seeking friction against her lap – or rather, her _blooming_ crotch to be exact.

There was no need for Sayo to hold back her voice, so Risa thought. They are away from everyone, they are alone, nurse won't hardly come since Risa didn't make any stupid ruckuses. _They are okay to go on_.

Risa concentrated on caressing Sayo, coating her fingers with the sticky essence, gliding on the slit to pinch her throbbing clit. Biting her own lips to suppress the urge to feel Sayo's skin, Risa continued on giving Sayo's core more curious strokes, Sayo responded to spread her legs even wider. Once she felt the stimulation is enough, Risa tried to stick two of the slippery digits in. Sayo gripped hard on her sheets that her knuckles went white as Risa did.

The brunette continued with the motion inside Sayo until not long, Risa felt Sayo's body atop her tensed, with a loud scream she come to spill Risa's working fingers.

Thankfully, with how she's seating on Risa's lap, Risa could keep Sayo from falling after her high. Risa waited for the rushing breaths of Sayo went calmer, easier, before she pulled away, keeping Sayo in her blanket.

"Imai-san …"

Risa only turned briefly to give Sayo a small smile. "I'll … be back later, and I'll call the nurse."

.

.

.

She felt her heart was close to escape from her ribs, Risa clutched on her chest. She had done it. She was close to lose herself over it – Sayo gasped for more, Sayo's scent, the warmth of Sayo's core, Sayo—

"… Calm down, Risa. Calm down." she chanted to herself.

Risa should quickly find a bathroom – her right hand, her fingers there were glistened with Sayo's essence that she has yet to clean, and she had an unattended bulge to take care of – also to go alert the nurse.

.

When she's back to the room with the nurse, Risa stayed for a bit until the nurse finished talking with Sayo. Sayo talked about the excruciating pain she got when on Estrus. The nurse would relay it to the doctor to take note, and then keeping tabs of Sayo to call them if Sayo needed the special injection before going back to the station. The nurse also scolded Risa for visiting in late hours, but Risa smoothen it out with a grin that she needed to speak something important to Sayo and that she will quickly leave.

What bested them is silence as the nurse left. Risa felt her cheek grew hot as their gaze simply passed. Even looking at the hospital bed wasn't helping. After all, they had done it _there_ , Risa still can feel Sayo on her hands. Though, the more pressing matter, Risa is relieved to see Sayo is back to her spirited self now, the release must have been helpful. The time between her leaving the room to call the nurse and finish up "things" were enough for Sayo to clean up as well.

"Umm, Imai-san?" Risa straightened up. She could see the tinge of pink on Sayo's cheeks too. "… Thank you."

"O—Oh. Yeah." The brunette fidgeted, scratching on her back of neck to try killing her sudden nervousness. "I'm glad that you're okay now." Oh, how she wished there's a cure of awkwardness; she feels jitter to her toes. Their eyes escaping from each other again and again. "W, well then! Guess I should … leave. It's, it's late."

Sayo softly nodded, "Yeah, see you later."

.

.

.

After Risa disappeared from her door, Sayo plopped herself down to her bed, closing her heated face with both hands. She tried to close her eyes, the image of what they had done earlier resurfaced as quickly and it made her eyes snapped open again. _That is how it feels to have a release with someone else helping_ , Sayo conjured, thinking how embarrassing and mortifying it was, but the Omega inside her didn't object.

_She couldn't deny that she wanted it – ah, how shameful it is._

Sayo stared back to the hospital ceiling, her mind drifting slowly over everything that had happened.

How her life changed, especially after meeting Imai Risa, an Alpha that doesn't look like one. She is too kind, too nosy; there are so many 'over' and other superlatives to describe her.

(Maybe—maybe, being near her won't be so bad after all.)

 

 

**VII.**

The next time she is coming there, Risa received a good news.

Risa dropped by the hospital after doing a little progress with her project, to meet with Hina along the way from the lobby. Hina had this wide, shit-eating grin plastered on her face as she made her way from second floor fully suited and with her bodyguards, taking the crowd's undivided attention. Maybe the CEO missed an important meeting, or so Risa thought, as they only passed to exchange greetings barely and Hina continued marching in hurry.

Wondering what have taken place, it's better to head to Sayo's room to make sure.

When Risa knocked on the door and excused herself to come in. Sayo's expression is one of that relaxed, her stretch of lips were soft with not a bits of her usual hostility or guarded stance. Risa could count how much Sayo got in a good mood, which is maybe about as rare as a blue moon.

"I passed with Hina before I came here, did something good happen?" especially that she's practically flying instead walking normally, Risa must note.

"I will be discharged this weekend," Sayo had this soft smile on her. "Also, Hina said that my parents will let me live alone like usual, as long as I'm not doing anything reckless like overdoses."

"That's, that's great to hear!" Risa beamed. It is really a good news. "We should throw a celebration!"

"There's no need, really." Sayo brushed. Hands staying on her lap as she commented. "I need to go back to college and work soon."

"Aww, no fun." The brunette pouted, she propped one of her leg up to rest her chin on her hand. "At least we can drink soda or something on your place?"

"No need." Sayo repeated.

"Fi~ne."

'Live on her own' – seemingly the reason Sayo pulled away from her family. To see that her family allowed her to, unless she's not doing anything wrong, it surely make her feel happy.

Risa finally realized that she's not needed, never, she is truly nobody who's only a hindrance to Sayo's personal space. Thinking back, this must be what Yukina ever trying to warn; that no matter how she had done for Sayo, it wasn't something she needed, rather, it is useless. Sayo wanted to be alone, Risa could only stay as nobody and nothing more, not like Sayo ever wanted Risa to do something.

"Imai-san, Is something wrong? You have been spacing out for some while."

What's this … hollow pain in her heart – while she already decided to pull away when everything is okay?

"I'm alright. Just thinking of my assignments."

* * *

 

Aya noticed that the atelier is rarely vacant now, with Risa absorbed in doing her painting more than usual. Since Aya juggled with her painting class and photography class, she put her paintings to latter, and she always seen Risa there when she is getting her camera from there. Risa only spared a little greeting, sometimes asking how Aya is doing with her work, and then she would back either to her sketches on the book, or her canvas.

"Risa-chan?"

Risa turned, she tapped her pencil to her head in thinking.

"Don't you have work today? Usually it's your night shift."

"I changed my shift more to weekends now." Risa answered. "So I can concentrate on working my piece."

"Is that so," Aya sat up on the edge of table, fiddling with the viewfinder. The pinkette pointed her camera to focus on Risa who's returning to her canvas. "How's Sayo-chan?"

A snap, though Risa seem to don't know her sullen face is being taken. From this angle, Aya could only get a portion of Risa's face over her back. The hesitation to answer was apparent, unspoken but visible; Aya regretted a bit for asking, but she waited.

"Isn't Sayo your neighbor? You should know her better than me." A nervous laugh to conceal a tinge of distress. There she focused to her white canvas, didn't bother to see the cameraman's direction.

Noticing she might step on a land mine sooner or later, Aya decided to pull away. "Then, I'll go to work now, see you tomorrow, Risa-chan~"

.

.

.

Aya decided to go back home to get her cleaning kit and a little shower, when she saw Sayo pacing in front of her door, cell phone on her hand. Sayo has been her neighbor for long before she knew it, though it's only recently that they talked more than usual formality greetings as they met.

"Sayo-chan, what are you doing?" Aya waved.

"Oh, Maruyama-san," Sayo set down her phone, putting it inside her pants pocket instead. "I called Hina earlier but I guess she's busy so she doesn't pick up."

Aya apprehended with a nod. "Why are you outside, though?"

"I was about to go to shopping for dinner when I remembered I haven't called Hina this week." Sayo explained. "She keep reminding me about my medicine, too, it's a pushover sometimes."

"But doesn't Risa-chan reminded you too? Does that means it's double pushover?"

"Imai-san?" there's a quirk on her brows. "She … didn't call me again," it's where Aya started to blink. _Huh, so their relationship ended?_ Aya thought to herself. "Maybe she already learned her lesson for being nosy."

It's when Aya caught it in her frame; the same uneasiness, the same restlessness, the same hint of fervor which Aya hardly miss. Seconds later, it would be concealed, like with a single gesture of shrug, or a laugh, or a minuscule of fidget.

"Ah, I should go now. Good day to you, Maruyama-san."

Aya found herself rolling her eyes. _Something is fishy._

x x x

When Sayo came back for her shift a few days later, her boss Yamato Maya looked more than elated. Maya had this wide smile, giving Sayo a continuous handshake and continuous thank yous before Sayo can ask to let go so she could change into her work clothes. The brown-haired boss congratulated for Sayo recovery, too, sounds like Risa broke the news about Sayo to her boss as well.

Sayo started to come back to work directly a day after her discharge. Aya and Risa helped her to be back to her room—which is pretty hectic rather than peaceful with how Aya is—and the two bid goodbye as they were about to work on their assignments or something.

The fresh smell of various type of ground coffee, how Sayo has missed it after months. The boss told that she stocked up some Antigua variety, if Sayo wanted to try improving her concoction. Her special blend, Blumensarg, is a mix of two coffee varieties with a characteristic to make the taste velvety but not exactly rich with less acidity level. She did add some tips from blending tea, to mix rose in her cup as well to make it faintly smell like flowers, hence the name is 'flower burial', hiding the flower on the 'ground' coffee. Antigua should make her blend more velvety, Sayo will reconsider it when she had time to do experiments.

Sayo slipped to the café's apron, eyes wandering to the interior of backroom that slightly packed with new espresso maker. Her boss surely loved to do tinkering on machines, so Sayo left it be. Tying her hair up in high ponytail, Sayo searched for the part time notice board. Maya has added Sayo's name back, but Sayo noticed that the entire shift had changed.

"Boss?"

"What is it, Sayo-san?"

There's no single shift with her and Risa. Somehow, it looked weird, but- "Oh, no, never mind."

If she recalled correctly, the shift is coordinated based on how the workers' wishes, as long as it achieved a grand total of three days – one day shift and one night shift is counted as one day.

 _Though, why she seem to be worked up on it?—_ is what Sayo had in mind. _Why?_

* * *

 

While it is rarely, Yukina would ask Risa to come with her for lunch when she's happened to be in the area, or when either of them are free on the weekend, so that they can talk again like the old times. They never exactly choose or prefer types of restaurant for lunch, anything is fine as long as it's not bitter melon or green smoothie.

Spring is close to change into Summer soon, they got some Spring-themed cakes on sale that Wednesday.

Risa usually the one who will ask of Yukina's family, or what Yukina was doing after they stopped exchanging letter to now, or what kind of activities Yukina done nowadays during her college days. Yukina might look like she doesn't talk much, but she's quite talkative when she found a topic of her interest. Gauging Yukina's interest is not hard, though Risa won't probe on topics about philosophy and psychology—which is Yukina's forte for deep debate. Sometimes, too, Risa would find Yukina telling her about her volunteer work at her college's animal vault and she fondly spoke about cats this cats that – in which Risa found it cute.

That day, though, Yukina found Risa talked less, poked her food often; so Yukina tried to start a conversation.

"I heard from Aya," Yukina put down her fork. "So you have stopped pursuing that Omega."

"Pursuing?" Risa stopped eating her pasta. Surely, Risa getting on her way of conversation fast. "I never pursued her. I was only making sure that she's okay. She worries me that day because of her strange behavior."

Yukina made a skeptical hum, "I see," she sighed, shoving away her spaghetti. There's another thing she need to attend on. "I guess she is finally okay now and you don't need to worry again."

"Yeah. She doesn't need me anyway." The brunette looked downward. Her mind flashing with several recollection from the top. "What I have done is only to hurt her instead making her better."

She is an Alpha. Imai Risa is an Alpha. Sayo, as an Omega, must have been seeing her just like how other Omega seen Alpha. Sayo's nature for seeking solitude making her never yield on anybody, and she saw everyone as her enemies. It's not like she want to gain something out from the Omega; Risa was worried, Risa wanted to help, everything is what she had wanted to _do_. However, she was late to realize that it's just a selfish request – she knew nothing of Sayo to judge her, she kept thinking that what she's doing will make Sayo feel comfortable, and what Risa had caused? She only pushed Sayo over the edge.

"Have you ever heard it from the Omega herself?" Risa scrunched her brows as a cue for Yukina to repeat her question. "Have you ever heard from the Omega herself that she didn't need you? Or you have been comfortable with your own assumptions because of how hostile she is?" Yukina expanded her point. "I do think that Sayo and I are similar on the point that we are doing something with a good amount of reasoning. Have you ever heard anything from her?"

For the first time during this lunch, Risa looked up to face Yukina, not the plate, not her lap. Yukina had a stretch of smile when seeing her wide-eyed, confused—maybe dumbfounded—expression. "Really, you're hopeless, Risa."

"… Are you sure it's not you trying to cheer me up?"

"Maybe I am. Though, guess you haven't know what her story is to come into conclusion, right?" the grey-haired woman curved her lips up to a smirk. Risa was red-faced. "Go see her, then?"

* * *

 

Aya was back from her painting session that late in afternoon that Sunday, saying thanks to her boss from taking her a ride home and then walking to the direction of her room with light feet. Her classes was going well, even her boss is pleased with how Aya taught the material to her students now – less stuttering, less messing things up to the point students laughed, all is well.

Stepping to the fourth floor hall, she found Sayo again. This time, the turquoise-haired woman was reading, though, while standing on the hallway railing. Their small apartment didn't have that luxurious private balcony part, yes, so if someone get to seek of fresh air but doesn't want to go too far from home, the hallway is the only place to do that.

"Oh, Maruyama-san." Sayo turned away from her book to spare greeting. "Good … work today."

"Mhm, good work today!" Aya pumped her fist. "That's rare for you to be outside, Sayo-chan."

"Minato-san said the same earlier," Sayo chuckled. "I really did hole up in my room a lot. Doctors said to me that seeking for change of pace also good thing for recovery."

"Are you waiting for someone?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"You keep glancing down there."

Sayo pulled from the railing, swallowing the embarrassment. "No, well. I …" Aya smiled innocently, as if she knew something. "I … got a mail earlier that Imai-san will be here soon, saying that she—we need to talk."

Aya seem to be … stunted? Relieved? She had this … happy grin that is even goofier than when she walked in there just a minute ago. "Anything you want to say to her?"

"Not really? I think she … just want to spring on me out of blue."

"Not even a 'thank you for always taking care of me' thing?"

"What are you getting at, Maruyama-san?" Sayo looked at her strangely. Again, it was as if Aya knew something, or Sayo's face has been readable.

"I do see you wanting to end Risa-chan's noisy babble out of your life, so I think it's better to thank her of what she had done and leave a good impression?" Aya suggested, a twinkle on her eyes as she spared a wink. "Ah, don't worry. It's only my impression since you're seem to be bothered by Risa-chan~ just do what you think is right."

Aya bid her good day before coming inside the room 407, Sayo continued with her wonder.

 _Did she really wanted Risa to be out from her life?_ Now her mind started to ask. It's true that because of Risa, her life has been turning upside-down; for once she had "welcomed" someone to her life but with this person barging outside and crack her shell. There has been disadvantages when she let her guard down, yes, although Sayo could mention the advantages as well.

For example, she is aware that there are people who cared for her, and how warm it is to be cared for.

Her eyes spotted the certain brunette closing in the apartment complex. _She's here._ Sayo watched a bit to see that Risa is more or less her usual self, with her light make up and sakura pink fluffy sweater top with a short black skirt.

As Aya said earlier; did she ever thanked, like, thanked her properly for what she have done? Or showing direct appreciation on the advantages that she could count, rather than pushing her away?

 

 

**VIII.**

"What would you like, tea or coffee?" Sayo offered the moment they entered her room, she made a quick detour to the kitchen instead sitting on the cushion across Risa.

"Tea is fine~" Risa said with her airy tone. "Don't worry, I won't be here long."

They haven't meet for a little while but the air has been growing more than awkward each seconds. They don't even separated because they were fighting, nothing happened between them but harmless disconnection.

Sayo seek a glance to her room a bit, noticed how small it is when two people are present, compared to how spacious Risa's apartment was. The turquoise-haired Omega only has an all-purpose square table and two cushions to serve her guest. Her small apartment only has one room, everything is barred for Risa to see—her bed, her stack of books she packed to a single shelf, her barely available kitchen, and maybe, her bottle of pills.

They didn't start to talk even after the warm cup of tea is being poured, their personal wishes to ask several questions dissipated just like how the tea powder disheveled, rippled slowly into nothingness inside the two cups.

"How … are you doing?" it came out from her lips rough, the question, Risa wanted to bit back. "Your medication and therapy, too, how is it going?"

Sayo found herself rolling her eyes, _starting with it again, huh, the worries_. "I'm fine," she pointed on her nightstand beside her bed, right behind where Risa seated. "I no longer keep my suppressant beside me," she then directed Risa's attention to the kitchen sink. "I place it there. Oh, and my therapy sessions are going smoothly, I can manage with my decreasing dosage."

Seeing Sayo's healthy pallor, it confirmed how she has been watching herself closely. She did want to keep her independency so she is careful now.

Risa kept her fingers circled on her share of cup, hoping the warmth of the tea emanating from it distracted from her own nervousness, or from Sayo's scent that lingered per usual. Which is not. "I-I see. So Sayo didn't need my help anymore to look after her, eh~"

"Yes, I don't need your help."

A straight answer, almost like an arrow stabbing directly to her chest. How she wished that Yukina's encouragement to believe that Sayo does need her rang true somewhat, guess she already been fooled to believe. Her childhood friend did her best to cheer her up, anyway, she shouldn't blame her.

"Is that so~ that's … good to hear." Risa's voice cracked, she knew. Maybe she's even closer to tears more than she realized it, she noticed her sight getting blurry.

The brunette then tried to compose herself with shaky intake of breath. She can't take this anymore, she really, really want to escape, hear nothing and expect nothing.

"But," the pause between sentences were long. "After you tried to look after me that time, I do feel … better. I mean, if I happened to forget something, you will be there to remind me, to cover my back. Just like when we're on our shifts at work," Sayo took a bit to reminiscence. Right, Risa has been filling the gaps of things that she can't do or unable to take concentration on – one time is with her making tea and tending customers, one time is her stubbornness. "So … I don't hate what were you doing, rather, I appreciated what you've been doing," Risa lifted her face up to see Sayo relaxed to a smile, which is relieved her, but at the same time, made her heart stopped. "Thank you, Imai-san. I'd count on you too in the future."

-And her eyes watered even more.

"W-Wait, why are you crying?" Sayo, a little panicked, knelt beside Risa.

"B, Because! Sayo never hated me. I'm doing the right thing. I—" the brunette choked a sob.

A thumb grazed up beneath her trail of tears, "Now, now. Stop crying …"

Their faces are close. Close for Sayo to see Risa's bridge of nose reddened because of tears. Close for Risa to see Sayo's upturned curve of lips – of her thinking how crybaby Risa was. Their face are close to feel each other's breath—Sayo's thumb stopped upon realization—and to feel each other's scent. Holding the moments in apprehensive pauses, simply locking gaze to each other, they then pulled. Risa was no longer crying. Sayo was no longer breathing easy.

"… Have you, calmed down?"

Sayo tried to ask. Risa saw the tint of red on those cheeks. She must have been the same as well, as her face stayed warm, not only because of her tears earlier, not only because Sayo's touch lingered there either.

"Mm."

[It's not a 'simple' attraction anymore, it's— ]

.

.

.

 _I appreciated it. Thank you. I will be counting on you on the future, too_.

'Did she phrased it right?' – is what Sayo has been thinking over after Risa went back after their talk that day.

There have been an option to let Risa go, but after hearing what Aya said and to see Risa again after their disconnection, Sayo made a change of plan.

All of things she has been doing; throwing her inheritance, getting into a pact with her younger sisters, throwing tantrums to her parents, it is solely so she could live by herself without restrains or shackles. She wanted to be an independent Omega. She didn't want to be seen as weak. Then, an Alpha suddenly added to her small world, and when the Alpha finally wanted to pull away, she chose to not do it.

Maybe, maybe, Risa's presence already growing on her that she couldn't discard it anymore.

Or she is lonely when Risa is not around.

Lonely? Was it really loneliness, not because of she wanted Risa to be close, so she could grasp it, so she doesn't lose it?

 

 

**IX.**

The sign of season changing always been apparent, though it will be more obvious if you are the one with the camera on to curiously snapping on whatever that comes by yourself while trekking slowly on the road.

Fresh air with mild chill of Spring already faded day by day, Aya thought as she snapped on the still-blooming cherry blossom trees she could find on her apartment grounds. A little crooked on the side, the photo turned to be, Aya had the angle wrong or because that she's walking while snapping, it's blurry at best.

Aya had no class and no work today, just dropping by to do monthly report to her boss and then she is back to her house, itching to finalize her piece of painting. When seeing there are trees still blossoming and swinging beautiful pink petals, she couldn't help but to stop and snap some pictures. At least a break to her wide collection of nudes in her camera roll, or those stupid candid pictures she took out of consideration and not for doing blackmails or pranks.

The pinkette adjusted her lenses up and took another snap; this time, she caught something by the hallway of fourth floor of her apartment complex, moving slowly.

"What are you doing there with your camera again, silly, don't you have painting to finish?"

"Oh, it's you, Risa-chan." She didn't check clearly what kind of face Risa made when she snapped the pic. "Visiting Yukina-chan for lunch?"

Risa shook her head, "Just passing by and see Sayo."

Several nerves in her brain went alert, "Sayo-chan?" Risa tilted her head to see Aya beamed. "You visited Sayo-chan again?"

"Hmm? What about it?" oh, Aya didn't detect any of those uneasiness again. "I'm checking up on her because it might be her Estrus soon."

"Eh? Eeeeh!?" Risa didn't know if Aya is this jumpy. "Are—Are you saying that you and Sayo-chan are already, already—"

"What are you talking about—" wait. Wait a second. Risa finally caught what Aya is drifting against now. Blush slowly crept on her face, spreading like wildfire. "Wait. Aya. No. That's not what you're thinking about! There's, absolutely nothing between me and Sayo!"

There Aya morphed from her giddy self to a pout, "Aww, so not yet."

" _Aya_!"

"I'm glad though that you two are doing well~"

"Come on, Aya, stop it. There's nothing—"

"Risa-chan, even a dumb girl like me know that there are _things_ happening." There Aya grinned. "Well, though it's mostly only you who knows what's what."

Though, the best thing the bystander like her could take a guess is that they are doing well, which is relieving to know. And the best thing the cameramen like her could take is a candid picture of Risa's embarrassed yet happy-fidgety face now.

* * *

 

After months of procrastination—mostly mulling and overthinking stuff and even restarting from zero—Risa could finally say that her painting is nearly complete. There are still two weeks before the deadline in which she could do some touch and retouch on little parts before coloring some larger parts she decided to leave for last, but she could be at ease now that the horrendous, nerve-wracking processes have been done. She stood up with utmost prudence, taking the colored canvas away from the easel to examine the color below the bask of light of her bedroom; ah, how she loved how it turned out: how the color blended, how the bold and thin strokes voiced her idea just right, how the perspective compelled her taste. Risa would surely submit it with no regret.

Risa has moved from doing her painting on the atelier to her home so that Aya won't see whatever she is finishing and to avoid Aya's teasing.

She realized she didn't put any watermark yet – any sign to mark the painting as hers, she forgot to put anything. Whenever she started on signing, she would remember how cute Aya's sign over her painting which is stark contrast to everything – rounded mountain with heart in pink stroke, while it is a nude painting, _nude painting but marked with something cute_.

Risa put back the canvas to the easel, finding her brush again and seek a corner to slip her sign, when suddenly, her phone on the nightstand buzzed to a message.

She scrambled quickly to open it, to a mail from Sayo.

' _I'm having Estrus currently. Don't you dare to visit.'_ –the message was loud and clear, but she found to pause on it nonetheless.

Her connection with Sayo is doing steady, a casual acquaintance but more than friends, with Risa sometimes visited Sayo when she had time just like how she visit Yukina or Aya. Sayo didn't feel bothered to have the Alpha on her doors, nor did she push away Risa's existence. They will talk leisurely about many things per usual, with sometimes Risa wondering about several things that have happened.

Risa put down her brush, discarding the wish to continue her painting. One of things that she thought of is Sayo's Estrus – to be exact, when Risa helped Sayo's release on the hospital bed.

Her scent was pleasing, Risa remembered the exact moment she probed on Sayo's pale neck, gliding slowly while seeking for her price down there. She did make a mental note not to bite on the skin, even though it is so tempting; that smell, that hitched breath, that throaty moan as she tried to speak, that move in cue to her fingers' working, that—

"Ah."

 _Hell,_ only thinking of that is enough to make her this _aroused_ ; she noticed from the sudden tightness on her crotch and her rapidly increasing heart rate.

"… Sayo."

An Omega.

Omega has the sweetest scent to lure Alpha and Beta. A stamped invitation, coated in honey and dew from them to get the ball rolling and make things right. Alpha must be the one who's strongly affected, prone to lose their reasoning and give in to the wheel of fate that's turning.

Risa did her best not to lose to those fate whatnots – she did. Yet, her body is reacting to it, much to her dismay.

_No, Risa. Sayo won't like you if you're … becoming an animal. You would only hurt her again._

Aside that night in the hospital, though, Risa picked up on their closeness, something that isn't the same as before.

How their fleeting gaze will linger. / When they were close to touch. / When everyone think they are close. / How Risa finally find a word to replace her 'attraction' to something even stronger than word 'attachment'.

(She continued to softly call a name, retracing _her_ scent that once coloring the walls of this very room, until she is coming to a peak with her own hands that once entered _her_ vicinity.)

.

A period of Estrus usually lasted for 3 to 6 days. Though the large scale of pheromone release could be tampered with the help of special injection, it's advisable for Omega to take a day off during their period of heat.

"Boundaries, huh," Risa repeated. "I … wonder if someday, I can say to Sayo that I—"

She stopped her tracks before the small apartment complex before her. Risa is happened to be nearby and it's already past the day six since she received the notice of Sayo's Estrus. While she doesn't put a finger in a reason why Risa wanted to go and see Sayo, most of it was because Sayo had this prolonged Estrus before. She could always alert Aya to help her if that incident happened again and they could do the countermeasure to bring Sayo to the hospital.

Risa restrained herself to check up on Sayo during her Estrus; there should be nothing strange happening now as she already far stabilized with her drugs, also she got therapy and frequent consultations, Sayo should be fine. Sayo should be fine. The brunette Alpha was afraid if she happened to overdo it because impulse, since by simply remembering how things happened, she went into frenzy.

That time, she only there to help. Even if she wanted it—the Alpha inside her wanted it—Sayo is not her Omega, also not even in her wildest imagination, she will be selfish to make Sayo hers. Their relationship has been better this way, steady without conflict, there's no need for Risa to be any more selfish than this.

_What's gotten into her? She wasn't like this before. Before, she was worried, and now she wanted something more of Sayo? Did she slowly turning become a monster? Or—_

Fourth floor, room 406. The hall is dead silent as ever, even though it is barely late in the afternoon. Risa mustered her courage to knock, greeted with the silence as response. She then tried again a few times, only nothing echoed back.

"… Looks like she is out."

Risa nibbled on the doorknob, finding that it's unlocked. As the door cracked open a little, faint smell was there for the Alpha to recognize that the Omega is inside, but she didn't believe what she's witnessing next.

She didn't realize the voice filled the room as it was noisy with the traffic outside. She didn't know that Sayo is present inside. Though the scent not as strong, the hint of Estrus hanging still. There, what greeted her is Sayo on her bed, her blanket kicked away and her pajama in disarray, hands busy pleasing herself as she whispered the name— _her_ name.

"I—Imai-san …?" she rasped, lifted her face up to hide her face in embarrassment. "Why … are you here?"

Risa closed the door behind her, fiddling to lock it. Sayo's face was flushed in ecstasy, beads of sweat traveling on her skin as her chest heaved up and down towards her own pace, and eyes bulged in shock to see Risa entered the room, caught her on doing _something_.

"I checked to see if you are okay but …" sigh escaped from Risa's lips. "What are you doing, hmm?"

She froze when Risa lifted one of her hand, watching that her fingers coated in her own essence, and dripping down to Risa's acknowledgement. Sayo turned even more shades redder.

"What is this, Sayo?" those mint green eyes peered dangerously, making her shudder. Sayo never seen it before.

"No, this is—" Sayo stopped struggling when Risa stuck her tongue out, cleaning the liquid on her fingers. The remaining of her sentence decreased to gasps as Risa licked it slowly, making sure it's thoroughly cleaned. The brunette made a loud popping sound as she parted from those fingers, now bested in Risa's saliva.

_Sayo tasted this good. She wanted more, more._

"Nee, Sayo. I'm here now, why are you calling me?" With droopy-looking eyes, Risa watched Sayo's reaction – panting and writhing to her ministrations. "… What do you want me to do?"

There was something different in those eyes that enraptured her, Sayo noticed. It's unusual for the caring mint green to be so vicious, sporting daring glint on its wake, and how Sayo can feel the hard, sharp intake of breath near; the Alpha wanted her as much as her Omega do, it is the same as how the hospital night has successfully haunting her senses.

"Please …" she coiled, her body tensed up when Risa closed in to take strands of the turquoise hair, lazily tucking it behind her ear, leaving bold strokes to the reddening ear tips.

"Please … what?" a sultry voice of whisper.

"… Take me."

Risa climbed atop of Sayo as ordered, taking both wrists captive down. The brunette dived, licking the scent gland carefully before anything. The sweet scent that is Sayo, originating from there, urging her to bite. Although, Risa knew what might happen if she bite it now, no, Sayo would hate in for sure. While the urge to bite on the pale, slick skin of Sayo is strong, Risa could do it somewhere, _anywhere_.

As Sayo arched in response to the curious lips and tongue caressing and kissing her neck to her collarbone, Risa's hands held her in place.

When Risa lingered on her collarbone, slipping a slight of teeth before biting it down, Sayo could no longer held back her voice. Risa could feel Sayo's heart beating fast, perhaps as fast as hers right now, running miles to sense how vulnerable Sayo is within her touches. Nestled her legs between Risa's crotch, Sayo thrashed as Risa keep traveling her tongue to her torso, not even paying a slightest attention down there where her essence continuously flowing. Her bra which is slightly tousled from her own playing earlier, is peeled away, Risa licking her lips to see the small bosoms presented – falling up and down.

Risa let go off those wrists, ghosting over the frame of Sayo's waist and going down, parting her legs open. Sayo is practically dripping to her sheets. Risa noticed the swell, Sayo surely has been pleasing herself more than once, she couldn't help but to wonder what her fuel of imagination is. Risa seen Sayo buried her face to her palm again, in which she gently pulled for her to see Sayo. Her eyes brimming with tears, yet her expression is one of intoxicated rather than guilt, rather than shame, how it geared Risa even more.

She kissed on her nose, wanting to wash away her fear upon their eyes met.

"I'll eat you up."

Risa lunged to sniff her dripping pussy; ah, how it smells strong of Sayo's scent too, and she licked Sayo's swollen lips from the bottom. Sayo practically dug her nails on the brunette's scalp as Risa continued, lapping, drinking on her moist, how it going even more wet and slippery. Risa zipped down her pants to free her throbbing cock, she shakes on the length while her tongue marveled deeper to Sayo's labia, sucking on the upper lips to illicit deep, throaty moans from Sayo.

 _If only she could put it in—no, Sayo will only be freaked._ At least, her love juices, her sexy expression, her call of beg keep her occupied, enthralled; it should be enough from now.

Sayo came to high with her tongue, and she came with her masturbation as well. Sayo's insides still clamping on her tongue, hot and tingling, aching for the second round. Risa caught an apparent tiredness from Sayo's eyes, as it is struggling to close, also from her labored breath, and how her tight grip to her brown tresses from earlier went slack quickly as strength leaves her during the peak.

She recalled how that time Sayo's heat keeping herself from sleeping, or so she confessed to the nurse. Even her body—their bodies—wanted on second cour, there are limits, and it's always better to not push it instead risking everything for the means of pleasure.

Risa pulled herself up, she sought tissue from the square table in the room, wiping away sweat from Sayo's forehead. Those green eyes watched her, though intently, her eyelids didn't keep her from waking.

"You should sleep," the brunette softly whispered. "I'll be here when you woke up."

There was a weak hum of agreement, before she closed her eyes, her tense shoulders went lax and her sharp intake of breath growing steadier, calmer as sleep taking her. Risa let out a relieved sigh, she pulled away from bed to overlook the mess she has caused, not to mention, her cock wanting attention again – how being Alpha on a rut is something she hated as it is sometimes hard to please, especially around Omega's spell.

She went to borrow the bathroom, made sure to clean other mess later after her.

.

.

.

Risa pulled a random set of pajama out of the drawer and give the mess of Sayo a change of clothes. The scent of Sayo is fainter now, maybe thanks to her release and how her Estrus has passed, Risa feel she could manage to clean up without hitch or distractions.

While it has been some time that they are together, Risa realized it's the first time she saw Sayo sleep; how her sleeping face is soft and peaceful, Risa found herself lingered from peeling away the dirty sheets. Her heart pounding again, though it's not of bad feeling that bloomed inside her now, she already get used to this feeling, much to her dismay.

Risa sat up beside the bed, close to Sayo's face as she deep in sleep, as her fingers unconsciously reached up, to pry the long bangs away her forehead. Their faces are inch apart again, with Risa staring on the slightly parted lips.

That time when they talked, when it was her own gamble to see whether Sayo ever wanted her or not. That time when they shared a little talk after the night on the hospital. That time she realized she doesn't want to be hated. That time she wished to look after Sayo and never let her go.

This time, she realized at last how all of it was. It's not a mere selfishness that keep her going. It's not simply affection that pulled her in. It's not attachment that made her stay. She might want Sayo as her Omega due to turning of events; she yearned to her scent and all, but her heart – she has been failed to notice that her heart speaking it aloud to her acknowledged it late that what she wanted is not mere physical touch.

[Her smile, her bitter reject words, her rare sincerity, her rare thanks, her compliments upon seeing something that interests her. She, Sayo is—]

Risa smiled to herself. This wish has another name, and she whispered it as she put a close to their distance, brushing her lips upon the sleeping beauty's static ones, not close on pressure, not close on alert, only a single chaste kiss where she could feel softness of the Omega's lips, and how their breaths mingled into one in mere seconds.

.

Sayo is alerted to a strange dream.

She vividly remember how she slowly blanked out after reaching her climax and the next she opened her eyes, she was floating; feeling that calmness and safety. Then, the scenery flown as she watched the espresso machine per usual. She is preparing for a medium cup of latte, and a familiar voice called from behind.

The brunette waved to her, asking if she should fill up more coffee beans since she's free, Sayo softly said no, expanding more that the amount is enough, and suggesting for Risa to do her tea brewing instead. Risa had this mock two-fingered salute of okay, and she lined up the spice jars, the base leaf for green tea from the cupboard, and then boiling the needed water.

Risa had her usual tied up pony down, collected her long brown hair to her shoulder in a loose braid for a change. It's optional to have black or white shirt to work, as long as they didn't forget to wear the Yamato Coffee apron and had their name tags. Risa chose to wear black shirt today, she had her copper necklace visible upon the opened button near her collarbone.

She didn't know the exact reason why, especially when she saw that back, Risa had this right curvaceous back, and that she is working hard, it puts Sayo's mind at ease.

The barista finished with her latte art, taking it to the customer, finding herself watching as Risa measured some selection of spice and herbs to the weighing scale, there she mumbled something Sayo didn't quite catch, though the coffee barista doesn't bother to ask for her to repeat it.

"Risa-san, why don't you try the lemon for once, it's black tea, right?"

 _Risa-san?_ Another point to wonder, but there's no one to ask as the scene played as such without her control. A surreal dream, she bet.

"Oh, that might be a good try. Thank you for the idea, Sayo." Her cattish smile, and a wink, how to send her heart tingling.

She took out the grater, grated a little of lemon's skin to the mix of dry herbs she already had on the sieve. The boiled water is ready, though she let it rest for a bit, letting the steam faded, before she poured on the filled sieve. Black liquid started to pour on its end.

"Mhm. It smells great~" Risa nodded. "How about you try it, Sayo?"

"Me? But Risa-san, we're on duty now."

"Trying on new concoction is a part of work, right?" Risa reassured. Taking the cup away and left the tea filter on the sink. "Here, you can add some sugar to your liking."

Though the dream doesn't continue, the warmth inside her chest stayed the moment she open her eyes. Her sense quickly averted to a pleasant tinge of jasmine before her eyes focused to a certain curvaceous back upon her fully ponytailed brown hair, clothed in cream-colored fluffy knit outta Spring fashion catalogue.

Since when she's so adept in watching Risa? Sayo wanted to mentally slap herself.

Risa took her sit on her usual spot of cushion, she looked that she poured water, the steam is apparent floating up, and there the relaxing scent of jasmine grows.

"Risa-san …?" Sayo let it slip, her dream, as if she's delirious. In response, Risa snapped to see Sayo, but there's no hint of shock bulge of eyes nor uncomfortable quirk of eyebrow; Risa just smiled to see her awake.

"Ah, hey." She put down the pot. Sayo got up from her bed feeling a little sluggish, she made her way to the other spot of cushion nonetheless. "I … made some tea."

There are other stuff laid beside two cups and the tea pot of boiling water, though Sayo didn't recall having a stock of honey or milk in her fridge.

"I bought it earlier while buying tea. Mou, how can you ran out of stock of tea at home?" Risa chuckled. She took Sayo's cup, mixing a little of milk inside with a spoon, before dipping in a little honey. The brown surface turned to cream white color, a hint of gold thread from honey spiraling in as Risa stirred the tea. "Here."

The cup is warm to touch instead of hot, Sayo thought as she tried to lift the cup. Jasmine scent to make her relax, also milk and honey fusion to ease her systems; Risa watched when Sayo's face contorted in delight after a sip.

"It's good."

"Right~ it's always great to have honey milk tea once in a while." The brunette said, enjoying on her share as well.

"Isn't this will put on your weight?"

"Not really if you added just small amount of honey; one teaspoon at best." the tea expert explained. "Also don't add sugar in if you added honey, you are not Yukina."

"Well, she did order Blumensarg, hot and black ones and dumped seven blocks of sugar … I really wonder why she ordered it black but she doesn't like that it's bitter …"

They talked almost random again, not even bothering to ask about the … sex that they already understand much how it went. Still, Sayo has yet to feel the warmth on her faded; she rolling on the answer that it must be the dream that affected her, since it is not the nagging warmth she usually feel when her heat hits, or that she is catching cold – the tea helped, though.

"Oh, I should be going soon, or I will miss the bus." Risa glanced at the clock. "I will see you—"

"… Wait, umm," Sayo made her halt. "Is, is it okay that I … call you Risa-san now?"

"Don't worry about it, I usually called you Sayo anyway." There it is again, a tint of warmth spreading on her, not like she hated it. "Okay then, I'll see you next week in work!"

 

 

**X.**

Risa received a message from Sayo again that time before she started on her shift by the beginning of the week. They did exchanged messages—chats—instead calling, though it's always a discovery to see Sayo started first.

' _I'm taking off. Caught a cold. I'll be okay in a few days. Thank you for coming by and the tea.'_

"Risa-san?" Eve called behind her, she quickly shut her phone. "Can you help me with the stock up? I think I've messed the numbering."

"Coming!"

Risa fumbled to get her store apron and get to see Eve near the store room mulling over the stock card while sitting on her knees, which is strange, but it's Eve. Well, her ownership to huge 250cc sport bike really suits her, being pretty tall to boot, though seeing how keen her attention is on Japanese cultures, it only added up to how strange she is somehow. Maybe it's because Risa seen Eve riding on her bike while having this … strange helmet, Musashi helmet style adaptation or so she said.

"Taking time to meditate when you're doing faults is a way of samurai."

"Ehh, I don't think so …" Risa scratched her cheek. She glanced at the stock card to see what that Eve counted wrong. "The coffee beans, huh? Did you happen to get the varieties mixed up?"

"That might be true." The silver-haired young woman hummed. "It's usually Maya-san that stocking up coffee beans, but she's having fever when I visited around 5 AM."

"Huh, so it's a cold season—wait, what?" Eve ignored as she lined up the coffee bags again, this time, checking the labels. "Why did you visit the boss, not to mention, so early in the morning?"

"Maya-san never said to you? I'm her loving Alpha." Wait, wait, what? Isn't her boss a Beta – she dated a college freshman? Though it's explain why her boss could choose to blend Admiral Yamato coffee casually without asking permission first. Then again, it's up to you to choose someone to love, after all. "Why you look shocked, Risa-san? Isn't it the same for you to Sayo-san?" Eve flashed a grin.

"There's nothing between me and Sayo." she denied, smoothing the 'nothing' part, though she blushed furiously. She does love, Sayo, yes, but she has yet to tell Sayo or thinking if she should confess, not so fast.

"Oh? But I smell Sayo-san's scent on y—"

"E-Eve! We should get to restocking quickly or we can't open the shop!"

Moving Eve's attention to the stock card and reading labels right, at least Risa could let it slide, for now.

Turned out Eve read some of the kanji wrong, hence getting the numbers wrong compared to the designated stock imprinted on the past stock cards. They cleaned up the store room after sorting the bags on the place again, taking out what they needed for now and getting the store ready for business.

"Cold season, hmm …" Eve suddenly buzzed. "We should be careful of our health, the season is changing and the flu becoming common," the she started some kind of speech, Risa nodded anyway. "Oh, should I go to nurse Maya-san after this, Risa-san?"

"Be sure to get a mask on or you will catch her cold~" Risa commented. "Also get her sports drink and cold medicine, you can also cook her some warm soup."

When Eve going on about cold, though, Risa felt a little light-headed. Her throat went uncomfortably dry that she swallowed. Maybe she caught the cold because—

"You sounded like an expert in this, Risa-san." Eve looked famished, pumping her fist in newfound spirit. "Okay. I will bushido through work and go see Maya-san later!"

It seems that she couldn't visit Sayo that day much like Eve did to Maya if she caught cold as well; she surmised to herself.

* * *

 

Her cold recovered quickly, thankfully, so Sayo didn't get to miss a lot of days on her college.

Sayo did relay to Rinko that she would copy her notes later when she went to campus after her recovery. Sadly, she had to miss her favorite subject of Europe's renaissance texts and few of her French classes, but she couldn't help it, Sayo will make sure to study more about it on her own.

Rinko stayed with her in the library as Sayo took her time on copying notes and asked few points to the black-haired Alpha. Rinko answered barely what she knew, and said for Sayo to read the materials herself since she doesn't get Sayo's difficult question.

"You … glanced on your phone a lot, Sayo-san. Do you … have an appointed call?" Rinko brought herself to ask.

"Huh?" Sayo seem only to realize it when Rinko spoke, about her looking restlessly to her phone screen beside her notes. "Oh, not really. I'm … I'm afraid that I will miss my shift."

"It's … still 1 PM …" the black-haired woman checked her slim black wristwatch. "Doesn't your shift … start around 5?"

Blush tinged her cheeks upon another realization, and she looked away, redness reaching her ears.

"Or are you … waiting for something?"

There's no use to glaze over it, so it seems, Sayo answered yes. "It has been some while since someone doesn't text me. I do call, but she doesn't pick up. When I heard from someone else that they are focusing on their assignments, I didn't try again." Rinko watched her story intently, with a nod to her every pause knowingly.

"Were you … worried?"

"Worried?"

"Yes. Because it's unusual for that person to act this way … thinking whether something is … wrong between you two," Rinko went on. "Are you … this kind of 'worried', Hikawa-san?"

Sayo paused to think, taking her pen to a stop. There has been nothing wrong between them; not a disconnection, nor they are in a fight. Sayo did come to a term that she is indeed missing Risa at times, but to know she is busy with assignments, why must she bother her so? After all, Risa is not hers—

—Yes, of course, who would wanted someone who did push her away a few times, not to mention Sayo looked like taking on advantages of Risa being an Alpha?

"I might be worried, yes," Sayo affirmed. "Though I can't bother her if she's busy."

"That reminds me of … my Omega friend," Sayo began copying the notes again, still hearing to Rinko's story. "When she's went AFK, and then not replying to my in-game PM and chats …" now, Sayo is lost when Rinko mentioned AFK, but moving along. "It was … that time I decided to visit her … I want to see her doing well or help her if something troubled her …"

Rinko had a tone of longing there, showing that she cherished this friend of hers so much. The black-haired Alpha always speaks soft and slowly, Sayo didn't mind of waiting as she's already used to it. "I, I do understand not every time someone will seek another person … when in fact they needed help, at least … if I know I can be beside her when she … got into problem, I feel much better." Giggles escaped from her lips. "Turned out she's struggling on her exam, I ended up helping her study."

'Be by their side even though there's a probability that you're not being needed. As long as you're within arm reach and you know the latter is fine, it's all there's to it.'—is it what Risa trying to do all this time, too?

"… You're a kind person, Shirokane-san." Sayo complimented. Rinko's eyes went wide.

"E-E-Eh?" she even shook her head, and her hands. "W-W—Hikawa-san complimented me …?"

"Calm down, Shirokane-san, I'm only stating the truth."

.

.

.

It's only later when at work, her boss Maya came as an extra staff to supervise and checking stock cards, what exactly happened to Risa.

"That reminds me, Risa-san asked for a week off from work because she caught cold," Maya said casually when Sayo happened to talk regarding to shift.

Cold? Did Risa happened to catch a cold because of her, since after that time of her visit, Sayo was down with cold?

"She also need time to focus on her homework or something, or so she told me …" Maya pondered as she went back and forth to see the past stock cards by the store room's wall. She turned to see Sayo, with hand on her chin, tilting her head. "… Is something wrong, Sayo-san?"

Sayo shook her head vehemently. _Nothing is wrong, just that she already know what to do next._

* * *

 

It was pretty shocking to see Sayo on her doorway by the next day.

Holding her cough, Risa put on her flu mask and her cardigan around her pajama, dragging on her feet. When she answered the door, there's already grumpy-looking Sayo on the doorway, hand on her hips. What's making her grumpier, is the fact that Risa hold up her brush, stained in fresh paint.

"I thought you are having a cold, why don't you rest?" her tone was menacing. Risa tried to … laugh the tension off, to no avail. Sayo is staring daggers at her.

There's something else that she forgot, though – her mysterious painting is on the center room. When Sayo practically dragged her to the direction of her bedroom, instead, she scrambled to block the canvas from Sayo's knowledge, thankfully, the cloth she used to veil her canvas is nearby.

"Stop working on it; you need rest."

"But Sayo, it's a week before—"

"Go. Back. To. Sleep." Sayo gave a death stare. "You can do your painting all you want when you recovered." She then snatched away Risa's brush and take away some painting-related things outside away from the bed and Risa's bedroom. Risa sat on her bed when Sayo busily took away everything. There she is awarded another glare. "Lie down. Get some rest."

"Y-Yes, ma'am." Risa coughed. Sayo looked scary, or so she thought. Her eyes keeping watch to Sayo passing forth and back to tidy the room, pulling the blanket up to cover her face as she did.

The brunette watched the table clock on the counter beside her bed, it's around 10 AM. Guess Sayo didn't have morning class or day shift so she visited her. Risa happened to ignore her phone these past days because she needed to concentrate on her piece and sometimes it's her cough and fever that forced her to lie down more than finishing her painting – still, it's better to have little progress over nothing.

It took a quarter of an hour for Sayo to finish on putting things away and whatnot—Risa only saw her back not what she's doing—and then she's back to see Risa still wide awake.

"Have you eaten?"

"I have."

"The cold meds?"

"Already taken it."

"… Why don't you sleep yet?"

"I, I drank few glasses of coffee earlier."

Sayo scowled. "How can you let your body rest with that …"

"Then," the brunette coughed again. "Talk to me until I'm sleepy?"

The turquoise-haired woman sighed aloud at that, "Oh, well."

Sayo took a little space out of where Risa lay down to sit. Her usually neat-looking brown hair are tousled and messy, not to mention her skin is warming still with fever. Sayo checked the nearby countertop table to see the thermometer is there, so she used it to examine Risa's temperature.

It clicked around 37.5 degree Celsius, not an exceptionally high fever.

"No, you're not getting up." Sayo scolded when Risa about to rise. "Do you need something? I'll get it for you."

"Can … I have some water? My throat hurts."

"Ah, wait for a bit."

Sayo shuffled to the kitchen and back with a small jug she could find, filled with water, and a tall glass. Setting it on the countertop table, Risa managed to sit.

"I can drink on my own, Sayo~"

"… Fine."

A glass of water later, Sayo took in the chair from the living room where she sat on to do her painting and sit on the right side of Risa's bed. Risa's mint green eyes peered to see Sayo from her blanket.

"Why don't you tell me that you caught cold?"

"… You've just recovered, nee? I don't want you to get mine." Risa laughed. "Oh, is Sayo worried about me, now?"

"Risa-san, you better be silent or your cough will worsen." Sayo bit back with pressure on her sentence. Ow, scary. "I'll stay here until my afternoon shift, though, you can ask me if you wanted anything."

"Mm, but I'm still not sleepy."

"… Risa-san."

"I'm trying to sleep. I'm trying~ can't sleep if it's forced." Sayo took her palm to press on Risa's forehead, what Risa had on her face is a smile of content. "Ahh, Sayo, your hand is cool, I like it."

"Now, now, my hand is not your cooling fever strips." She pulled away, Risa reached to hold Sayo's hand instead, letting it stay beside her.

"But I like it," the brunette gave their joined hands a squeeze. "I like Sayo."

"Huh?"

"… I like you."

There's no hint of hesitation upon her mint green eyes when their eyes locked. Sayo more dumbfounded to believe, blinking when Risa gave another squeeze to Sayo's hand, before lacing their fingers together. Risa's hand are warmer, a little rough on edges because of several art processing with tools, different to her smoother hands as she only went far to open books if not serving coffee.

"I'm not joking," Risa pulled down her mask. Sayo could see that her lips stretched, upturned to the softest of smile. "I like you; as a woman, not as a friend, not because you're an Omega and I'm an Alpha. I like you because you are Sayo."

Was it because she's delirious? No, she did say she's alert because of coffee, it might be word of adrenaline, and how the moment is right.

Their joined hands, the spoken words - Risa already there to transmit what she is feeling. s _What will become her answer?_

"Risa-san, you're having a cold now," Sayo said gently, tucking back the mask up, much to Risa's dismay. "You better … save your confession when you're healthy."

Those mint green slowly brimmed with tears, there also a sniffle. As Risa was too occupied with her own thoughts of those words becoming her rejection, she failed to notice the finger on her mask stayed. Her vision is blurred by the sight of turquoise—Sayo's hair—when Sayo pressed her lips to the closed mask.

"So," Sayo parted. She released her fingers to comb on the brown tresses, ruffling it. "… Please rest well and be healthy soon."

[Risa almost forget how to sleep.]

.

.

.

Took Sayo a long while to make Risa calm down – from her sudden bursting tears and there's her coughing followed. Eventually after some more talking of hers, mostly story-telling of her boring lecture session and the days following the café with Maya's antics with coffee machine tinkering, Risa drifted off to sleep. Sayo entwined their fingers still, and Risa reciprocated as well. She couldn't see her smiling through her mask, but at least she could tell that Risa stopped crying and that she is having fun, by the glint on her eyes.

Their feelings are mutual; her heart is still pounding, though it wasn't a bad thing to do, not a bad answer to say. "Love" might be a strong word, both has yet to say it. Then again, they already know where they are heading.

Ah, her cheeks went aflame again by thinking of Risa's confession, moving to how she answered it, and suddenly she regretted, however, to see Risa is happy, it was an overflowing relief washing over her embarrassment. Simply talking to her now while understanding their mutual affection felt a lot different, like another road opened up to you, like you wish to spend more and more time now while you can always come back later.

Sayo passed on the closed painting, and suddenly she come to wonder why Risa closed it. Risa didn't say anything about the assignments but seeing how big the canvas is, it should be something grand. On the foot of easel, there's a sketchbook with red leather cover. The papers went into disarray as the bind went loose, she must have been dropped as she scrambled to tell Risa to stop painting. Sayo gathered up the papers, noticing the sketches on it.

One of it is Sayo's face from sideways.

She picked more, there are several angles of Sayo, sometimes only in simple pencil sketch, there also some that's colored, there's also rough outline of the coffee shop counter, with her pouring on to make latte. All of them with her smiling—

[Smile. That's what she loved from Risa as well.]

Ah, ah, ah. Her heart won't get any calmer soon. _That shown so much Risa seen her, she noted it to herself._ God, she need to get to work soon, not to be giddy like high-schooler in love.

 

 

**XI.**

Spring already passed the baton to Summer, Risa seen the sun is hot on its heels now giving no mercy with scorching heat down there. For instance, she felt sad that she didn't get time to go flower viewing, though the recent months has been quite hectic, no one can't help it. Her choose of Summer wardrobe mostly lighter one piece or t-shirt with shorts, though she would go with long-sleeved thin sweater of light color tucked inside her denim skirt to the campus.

Risa was anxious to know the result of the judging between their collected pieces, Aya said that today is the day, so she bolted straight to the college since morning, wondering around the campus as she doesn't have a class to seek for Aya. Usually, Aya would be the one who will get the news first since she's active with her nude painting class within students. There are no new notice hanging by the main board aside the layout of The Gallery that will be held around August. They also filled in to students that they will do some video documentary of the chosen art piece, and they encouraged everyone if they wanted to fill in the main stage later with shows or skits, just like how it is on normal school culture festival.

Speaking of August—it's also her birthday month, which would be the greatest gift if her piece is elected.

There was a loud static upon the campus speaker, before the announcer break in the news.

" _The name being mentioned here must gather to the auditorium quickly. These are the lucky people whose art piece will be showed in The Gallery_. _"_ So the announcer said.

.

.

.

" _RISA-CHAN, WE'RE BEING CHOSEN!"_

"Okay, okay, Aya, don't shout to my ears."

Again, must she say. When Risa discovered the fluffy pink hair bounced to the way of the auditorium, she was given a bear hug, almost knocking off her balance. The campus assembled the 'chosen ones' on a little briefing, in which they said, will be followed up by more information later on – especially for the placement of their art works in The Gallery, and for Aya, they wanted Aya to hold special nude painting class for public that day.

"I … wonder why they choose me to hold a class, though. Was my class that interesting?"

"Maybe because you stutter and mess up a lot?" Risa snickered.

"Risa-chan meanie." Aya pouted. "Speaking of which, they also get us this special tickets right, free entry to all of the gallery attraction from every art class session and access to the best seat from the stage?" the pinkette fished out two batch of golden tickets from her hand bag. Risa got two as well. "Since we're the exhibitors, we are free to give this tickets away, right?"

"Well, technically, yes," Risa saw her share of tickets. She did have someone to give her ticket too, but she stumbled when thinking of her watercolor painting – did Sayo see her nearly-completed one back then when she is sick? If yes, it should be twice of the embarrassment when she showed the completed one later showcased. "Should I … invite Sayo to this?"

"Of course! You should just call it a date too!"

"Wait, Aya. W-Why are you getting worked up on it?"

"Well, aren't you two lovebirds needs some time other than your little visit to each other homes and little time at work?" when Aya mentioned it, that's … sounded right. Because of their respective business; her with her painting and the exhibition, Sayo with her gazillion of exams, they haven't meet for longer than a tea, or when they walked back from the Yamato Coffee.

A … date, though? Never in her wildest mind that she … dated, or having a date, to someone as _gorgeous_ as Sayo to boot—

"So, what are you waiting for? Give her a call, invite her to your home as usual, ask her for a date, and if you have extra time at it, you can … _y'know._ " That last part was with a weird swing, fueled with tease. "Oh come on, Risa-chan, don't tell me you haven't go past the kissing yet? After two months? Are you two really Alpha and Omega?"

"I'm, I'm not you and Chisato, okay!?"

Risa started to wonder if Sayo is finished with her exam and some of her foreign language proficiency test. They rarely meet now aside from phone calls and messages – Sayo preferred to study lots to her upcoming exam and she said she needed to cover a lot of material, however, Sayo should at least free for weekend, since last night when they chatted, Sayo did say about her tests are ending soon.

All in all, Risa better ask someone for an advice to this … date stuff.

"Chisato is a busy woman, you know. We didn't do much except two minutes in her office room— _whoops_. I said too much."

Nah, of course she can't ask this Maruyama Aya – better to turn to Eve or her boss Maya instead.

* * *

 

That day after her last batch of language proficiency tests were done, Sayo agreed to an invitation from her younger twin for a lunch. Hina rarely got her schedule open, being Hikawa group CEO and all. They did plan to have a lunch together someday, so when there's the opportunity, they did their best to make it come true.

Sometimes, Sayo reflected how she had changed, from avoiding Hina to patch things up between her and her younger twin. Since Sayo already gained her rights and Hina never do anything wrong, Hina could confide on Sayo about her work's stress, and there Sayo will tell about her own share of story as well.

"Onee-chan!"

Seeing Hina waved with utmost vigor from their reserved table, Sayo could tell how excited she is for a lunch break – anyone will surely forget she's a leader of highly-respected business group. They went to a middle-class steak restaurant that's still affordable for Sayo, though not to hurt Hina's status. She's surely turning down Hina's offer on paying by saying that it's her creed as an older sister to pay for them. Hina seemingly has dismissed her lined black bodyguards, as Sayo found no one nearby.

"How's your exam?"

"So-so, I guess? I think I will pass with flying colors." Sayo hummed. "There's still few exams left, but it's mostly an oral tests, I've already memorized the materials."

"That's my Onee-chan!" Hina clapped. "I do wish I can attend college too like you."

"Isn't work more challenging? You've said so yourself."

"Mhm! But there are always some of these pushover guy when we're having tender, so yeah~" the short-haired CEO laughed heartily. They are still waiting for their set of steaks coming. "Speaking of which, how is it going with Risa-san now?"

Sayo coughed, "W-Wha? Why are we talking about that?"

"I do have a predicament that you guys will be together looong before you said that you two were dating," Sayo couldn't help but to think if Hina's genius head applied to clairvoyance as well. "That time when she asked me about our problem? I thought she were your Alpha, Onee-chan."

"I, I see …" retracing back to the nosy Risa—well, she's still nosy now, it doesn't change—Sayo forgot that Hina knowing about that big fight before she's admitted to hospital because overdosing.

"And then, and then, one time I visited you in the hospital, you already smelled like Risa-san, so I thought—"

"Not, so, loud." Sayo clamped Hina's lips shut with her hand, face beet red in embarrassment.

"—and, well. I was surprised that you told me you've just started dating her two months ago." Hina ended with a beaming grin. "I guess you have been marked, then?"

Sayo's response is to rub her temples instead. "… No."

"Ehhh!?"

"Hi-Hina, I said, not so loud!"

"But, but. If an Alpha marked you, then it will be less for you to take your meds since that Alpha will help you through the Estrus?" Hina had her head tilted. "Ah, but it's for Onee-chan to decide." The young CEO gave a nod. "I know that you loved Risa-san and doesn't want to be seen as taking on advantages."

There is, indeed, consideration to ask if Risa would like to be her mate, but Sayo never bring it up. What Hina said is true, Alpha will surely solve her problem with medications. Being mated also meant that you're bounded with this person until death separates. Still, if putting it that way, it is as if Sayo really benefit on Risa because she's an Alpha, not because she loved Risa for how she is. Truth to be told, she didn't have anyone in mind that could help her beside Risa, whose she has been familiar with.

Will Risa be okay if Sayo ever ask for her to be a mate?

.

Sayo bid goodbye to Hina later and went straight to work. Indulging on coffee sometimes ease her stress fairly well, and she took her moment between shift to create different blend type for today's Blumensarg, while pondering over … things she should and she shouldn't do.

Being together with Risa is the greatest thing ever happened in her life after she learned how to trust others – Risa never betrayed her. She also made Sayo feel safe, especially when they are alone and walking together through the streets within day or night. Maybe it's one of that 'territorial' trait Alpha has naturally, that Risa won't let anyone to harm Sayo in any way; from other Alpha's wondering eyes, from the sight of curious soul. Risa has always been a social butterfly, yes, but when she's around with Sayo, she will surely get more attention to Sayo.

The drip upon the French Presser stopped just on the right amount. This French-pressed Blumensarg version with more rose petals will be a special one for the day, only for selected few who came in first to take order when her shift rolling.

"Welcome to Yamato Coffee—oh." Sayo caught a sight of familiar young woman in ashen gray hair decorated with black butterfly hair clip. She wore a white blouse top with accompanying black pencil skirt perceiving her usual taste of monochromatic clothing. "Minato-san, welcome."

"Ah," her flat lips relaxed to a professional smile. "Perfect timing for my first Summer cup of Blumensarg, I guess?"

"Certainly." Sayo took the small paper cup. "Hot and black even though it's Summer? With lots of sugar added?"

"Now you're starting to sound like Risa. Oh well, that's correct."

Yukina took the seat around the counter area, waiting for her cup of coffee. Usually, she would have book on … something that sounded difficult in physiological or criminal language terms with her, instead, she got this colorful coloring book about cats, in which Sayo found it as a refreshing change of pace. The gray-haired woman also happened to be a fan to her coffee blend, Sayo respected her comments on how the coffee tasted especially if Yukina noticed it's more acidic than usual. Being an avid coffee drinker she is, however, she doesn't like bitterness – she would dump lots of sugar or honey or the two to her cup when enjoying it, which at times Sayo think of how she is able to discern the coffee amongst the dressing sugary stuffs.

"I presumed you added more rose to this today?" Yukina asked when she is in for the first sip. "It's rich, and smells really good."

"Thank you for your kind comment." Sayo moved to clean up the presser as the conversation went on.

"On the other note," she put down the cup. "I have seen you did a good job as Risa's pair. She's more like happy teenager now."

 _Oh but aren't we has not yet to climb on adulthood?_ But yeah, can't say they are still on teen age. "What do you mean by that, Minato-san?"

"It's no harm done, really. I'm happy to see my childhood friend is happy, especially if it's seeing her smile and her being in her chipper self," Yukina commented. "Don't you agree?"

"I can relate," Sayo found herself chuckling at the mention of 'chipper self', indeed, Risa is better when she's smiling bright, and how it resembled sun when she did. "But, Minato-san, can I ask you something? Since you've been together for long with Risa-san."

"I'm all ears."

Sayo's voice went quiet. "… Will it be okay if I'm having selfish request like … umm, mating with her?"

Yukina got herself another sip, before shooting a confused look, "Huh? I thought you and Risa already went there."

"W-Why everyone think of that?"

"I see that Risa is being careful. It's given, I guess." Sayo blinked at that. "Risa is the type who won't consider unless you ask," the turquoise-haired Omega rolled her eyes. "She's trying to keep your feelings. She might be selfish from how nosy and nagging she is, yes, but actually, she is selfless—she will always put someone else's wishes before hers," Yukina explained. "You do understand how mindless an Alpha can be, but look at Risa—did she ever get on your bad side?"

Indeed, Risa never try to harm her, rather, Risa has been doing her way of helping her. How she is worried but when she's in trouble like her cold from that time, she didn't say it. She did confessed wanted to be close with Sayo, but all these time, she's keeping Sayo's feelings by taking routes that might interest her, such as choosing to disconnect after Sayo's second overdose break.

"I can be sure that as an Alpha, she might have wanted you at some point, so what you have to do is to ask her, she will always take your time to hear you." Yukina finished. "So, what's your call?"

.

.

.

The shift is going to end soon, Sayo glanced on the wall clock. She will retrieve the last order if anyone comes by before the last minutes, and she will flip the sign to close.

There's lot of things occupying her mind today, mostly her decision – of how she resolved to ask it, but not today, since she needed some mental preparations to.

The bell ringing on a sign that someone is coming by on the last minute, truly last minute before 10 PM.

There was a sense of de javu when she walked in. It's almost similar to that time as Risa walked in to work while between them only lies awkwardness after Sayo's first heat break. Risa came to greet her with relaxed expression that day, however. She had this one piece of pale brown sweater that bared off her shoulders, black inverted rabbit necklace dangling around her neck in company with pink inverted rabbit earrings. She secured her waist there with a loose brown belt accessory. Her heeled boots clacked as she approached the counter – she's there not for work, she's a customer, her last customer of the day.

Seeing her with happy smile, yes, it is something that put Sayo's mind at ease.

"Can I still place order?" Risa grinned. Sayo watched the clock ticked to make a perfect 10 PM.

"This will be the last order for the night, yes. What would you like?"

"Blumensarg, medium." Risa played along as customers. "Please add soy milk in, and oh, make it iced."

"Certainly."

.

Sayo excused herself to flip the sign to closed, before back to Risa who's tasting her iced coffee within the counter seats. The coffee barista joined on the stool beside her, resting her chin on her palm and watched Risa drinking. Risa said earlier that she's happened to be nearby - talking with Aya and all about their gallery preparations. Seeing it's not the cafe's closing time yet, she decided to come in.

"Boss said she'll be out for errands and will be back soon, so I was asked to stay until she's back," Sayo said. "We can talk here for the meantime." A pause, more pondering.  __ _This might be a right moment to talk with Risa about it - if not now, Sayo is not sure when she's ever ready to speak of it. They are alone now, after all, and the urge to tell about it is fresh in her mind._ "I—I've got something to say-"

"Oh, right. I'm going to give you something!" Risa beamed, she fumbled to her purple hand bag to fish `out two golden tickets, beating her from talking. "Invitations to my campus' gallery in August, VVIP," Sayo watched as Risa handed it to her. "My … painting got elected to be showcased."

"Really? Congratulations, Risa-san." She clasped on that hand, Risa's cheek tinted more pink. "I would be glad to come. Thank you for inviting me."

"There's, uhh," the brunette rolled her eyes in discomfort, finding it's hard to mince words. "W, what if … we call this a date? Yeah, date."

Sayo's jaw went slack; did she say, a date? Sayo blanked of response, but she squeezed on Risa's hands anyway. A date? Like that date with them spending time together but in different environment? Part of her hearing tuned out of Risa's description of what gallery is and the purpose on gallery and whatnot, then to a better part, as Sayo was thinking about something herself.

Risa always went on and on when she's nervous, before she's back to square one.

"-I will be away for exhibition with curators first, though, which is strictly exhibitor-only stuff." Risa explained. "After that, we can tour the gallery together. W-What do you say, Sayo?"

"I'd be glad to spend time with you."

"Yay!" Risa giggled merrily, shaking their joined hands.

Sayo held her breath, counting on to three, still torn whether to say it or not after Risa broke in a news. Date is happier note compared to what she's about to say, and it is unknown whether Risa would accept it or think bad about her request.

"My turn. I-I have something to say."

Risa cocked her head to sideways. It was like Sayo was dead serious, though she still clasped Risa's hands, with the tickets in, on the table. _It's_ _almost close like she's proposing_ _-_ Risa's heart started to thrum inside her chest.

Sayo sensed her voice wavering, failing her, and, "… Will you become my mate?"

Now, that's more wondrous than the word 'date'. The silence following it was taxing, even the ice cubes inside the coffee cup started to melt with both of them knowing.

"Sayo, are you serious about what you're saying?"

"I do." She affirmed. "I don't think I can be … mated with anyone but you. I feel so sure if it's you, Risa-san, I—"

Risa brought her to an embrace, thrown the Omega aback. Sayo caught her. The pleasant scent of hers – the musky scent belonged to Risa is there again for Sayo to inhale closely.

They ever said that the suppressant medicine is made from Alpha's pheromones, Sayo ever thought if that's the reason why she is relaxed to know about this particular scent, though at times it might send her wilder due to Estrus.

There within her arms, she felt Risa trembled slightly, but she wasn't crying - it's more like a ripple of her emotion flowing out.

"… Sayo." Risa called. Sayo caught a mumble of apologize there. "It … seems so surreal. I-I've never thought that you will—that I can—" her voice went to uncontrollable babble. Their embrace tightened. "I … have been holding back all this time, I don't know if you wanted more of me, I'm afraid to be rejected by you if I wanted more, so …"

 _She is afraid to be rejected, she is afraid to be unwanted by an Omega like her_ _-while she is the Alpha of power, she is-_

"Why are you saying so, Risa-san?" planting gentle strokes on Risa's back, Sayo asked.

"Paranoid, maybe? Since at first you looked like, detesting me. It-it just haunts me, okay?" Risa buried her face deeper to Sayo's collar. "… I'm, I'm pathetic, right? While I know that you accepted my feelings, it should be okay to ask for more, but here I am: confused. I don't know if I should say it to you."

"Alright," Sayo drooped her shoulder as she lifted Risa up from their embrace. She then cupped on that face. The brunette's face is flushed from her emotional outbreak. Sayo grazed her thumb on the cheek, smoothing it to the way on her lips. "Next time, you can be selfish with me too. I'll say what I wanted, in return, you can always ask if you want something. There's no holding back, and don't afraid to feel rejected because I … will hear you, I will reach you, as much as you have heard me, as much as you have tried to reach me." Risa closed her eyes, chewing on her lips as it is void of response. Sayo responded with a small grin. "Now, smile?"

The brunette peered open her eyes to see the fraction of Sayo's smile, and Sayo encouraged her to smile as well. Their voice blended as they laughed – just laughed it off without apparent reason. _How nice it is to come into a mutual understanding, how nice it is to be able let everything out_ _._

.

"… It's nice to be young, but … can you two be a little quicker? I need to close the shop, fuhehe."

Maya showed up by their backs, only shaking her head upon witnessing the … heartfelt event for it takes to be half an hour away from the time that coffee shop needed to close. They quickly pulled away from each other, both flustered, feigning nothing happened by creating a visible gap between them. Their boss couldn't help but to do her signature fuhehe again.

"Oh, but if you would like to continue, I don't mind. Just don't let the sweetness beats the blocks of sugar we have here~"

" _Boss!_ "

* * *

 

After they shifts, Risa would always walk Sayo home. It has been a habit for two months passing. Sayo sometimes asked if Risa is bothered to take her home that late at night. Risa would say she never minded to take Sayo home since it's nearby their work place, also she always could get the last bus back home to reassure Sayo.

Well, Risa could always stay on Sayo's, but because of their busy schedule few moments back, Risa decided not to.

At first, it was awkward – like, _really_ awkward. They found it difficult to simply entwined their hands together; Risa felt her palms sweaty because shyness and jittery, Sayo feel the same as well. It came out naturally later, but slowly, and now finally they can laugh of their awkwardness of that time and put it in the past. What Aya ever said is true, they didn't get past the kiss yet, or the hug, or the holding hands; they are struggling a lot within small aspects.

That day, however, one thing has changed.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." Sayo said as she unlock her room, Risa gave her a goodbye wave.

"Umm, Sayo."

A tug on her arm, Sayo stopped to see Risa, looking downward, shifting her legs.

"Are you free … tonight? And tomorrow?"

"My next test would be in three days, yes," Sayo answered.

"Then," Risa looked up to meet her eyes. There is the light of expectation, Sayo saw it, but also hesitation. Sayo gave Risa a strange look. The brunette opened her lips a bit, wanted to say something but it quickly closed. She then circled her arms around Sayo's neck instead, pulling her down to make their lips met. The kiss itself was chaste, but Risa did it more than once, twice, Sayo could feel the fleeting sensation of Risa's strawberry-flavored lip gloss. "How about … you get used to me?"

"Get used?" Sayo didn't catch it. Risa whispered to another kiss. They stopped to brush each other noses, Risa nipped on Sayo's lips ever so slightly.

"... There will be some time before your Estrus," the brunette trailed down her hands to cup Sayo's shoulders, she nestled part of her legs between Sayo's, as if they could be anymore closer than that. "I'm asking whether you would like to spend a night, and, " her breath hitched when Risa went to hug her by the waist. "Get used to my Alpha before the time of mating?" Sayo's back pressed to the door and in front of her, Risa glided, watching her with dangerous glint, Sayo sensed her legs would give out soon under that passionate gaze. "If you want to, that is."

Risa has been cautious, Risa has been holding back; so she said, there would be no turning back if there's a yes, if Sayo allowed it, if Sayo _wanted_ it. Sayo must say, however, the temptation already went its way to excite her, to make sure that their wants are in mutual level.

It's time to give Risa a treat, as well as get to know her more, and crave her more.

"Bed?" is Sayo's prompted response.

"Bed."

.

Their clothes were everywhere before they know it.

Their kisses started from soft, cautious, to sloppier, messier, almost kissing anywhere but the designated lips. Not to mention their hands started to roam around everywhere, trying to get hold anywhere on the slick, sweaty skin, making they burn for each other more. Risa pulled away after their nth rain of kisses, sticking her tongue out to collect on Sayo's flowing saliva, entering the tongue in Sayo's mouth again for yet another deep kiss.

Sayo sprawled on the bed, panting heavily from their make out session. The sight of flushed skin-from her face down to her neck, of Sayo shivered upon her light and curious touches, it surely turns her on.

Risa watched the inch of Sayo's skin again, before gliding on the collarbone, on the shape of bite mark she ever left there. Risa lingered still on the remnant of the bite mark, contemplating. Risa then kissed the bite mark, giving it yet another bite. A hiss escaped from Sayo's lips, holding back another cry as Risa started to give another bite to her skin—on the either side of her collarbone, on her right breasts, and then stopped on her shoulder.

The Alpha purred on her neck, on the throbbing pulse located there. She propped Sayo up to slip her hands around Sayo's torso, nestling herself to embrace Sayo close with her face buried on Sayo's neck.

"... Do you like my scent so much?" Sayo brought herself to ask, finding Risa sniffing on her scent gland again, it was ticklish.

"I'm … drawn to it," Risa confessed, closing in her mouth to give the reddened skin a nibble. "And to know I'm going to mark you soon, I can't wait." that one bit surely made Sayo blushed profusely. Risa resembled like a cat this way with her snuggling.

Although, Sayo can feel Risa's cock stifled, poking down there on her wet sex as Risa pressed her body to Sayo's. She didn't know when she started to grind against it, as Risa pecked on her neck more, also making a small friction on her body while she did.

"What is it, Sayo? Are you curious about me down there, hmm?"

Can't say she's not curious, about Risa's—Alpha women's—'special' part, that is. Sayo did have seen it a few times during Risa turned to help, but to eventually feel it, see it, it was her first time. That might be what Risa had said of 'getting used' to her before her Estrus, before the knotting, before the mating.

The haze she felt - it's almost familiar to heat, though more pleasant, less pain, less hurting. Risa's ministration was enough to make her aroused, seeking more, wanting more.

And so she nodded, answering on the question of curiosity.

Risa broke from the hug, crouching lower. She propped Sayo's legs up, licking her lips unconsciously on the sight of Sayo being ready for her.

"This might … hurt. More than when I used my fingers or my tongue, so," Risa warned, positioning her hardened tip to graze Sayo's entrance. "Hold onto me."

The first thrust, Sayo screamed, loud. Tears wet her eyes as she swallowed the initial pain, her insides are rippling, breaking, exposed to clench onto Risa's full length. She did as Risa told, to hold on her, to scream, to claw on anywhere she pleased, be it her back or the sheets. Risa touched Sayo's face, kissing on her trail of tears. When Risa begins to slide inside Sayo, Risa tried to ease her with melting kiss, carefully moving her hips to a rhythm.

Sayo's call to her name is but a breathless whisper in between their kisses; sometimes Sayo called her name roughly, sometimes it was a grit of teeth, followed by what sounded like a groan. Risa keeping on with her thrust, searching for _that_ spot, getting Sayo used to her pushing into her core. That time when Risa found exactly where Sayo's G-spot, there she digging her nails deeper to Risa's back, pleasure spiked inside Sayo as Risa picked up the pace. Their kisses are forgotten the moment Sayo focused on the rippling ecstasy building up in her stomach.

"… I'm close." Risa whispered to her ear, her pacing down there growing more desperate. "Sayo-"

Sayo circled her arms around Risa's neck, _she is close as well_ , Risa held her breath as her length clenched tight by Sayo's wall as the Omega reached her peak. The brunette let out a desperate cry as orgasm hits, spraying white-hot pleasure inside Sayo's core. Taking time to catch their breath, they stayed to simply look at each other. Risa reached with shaky hands to pry Sayo's bangs away from covering her eyes, relishing on the moment. Sayo, on the other hand, was close to lost on that focused pool of mint green eyes.

The brunette pulled from her, making Sayo shivered a little as the warmth leaving her, but Risa's lips didn't stray far from her face – her corner of eyes, her nose, her lips – garnering her full attention again.

"I love you," Risa mumbled under her breath. She dipped in to kiss her forehead, and she repeated again, again, and again - "I love you, Sayo. I love you."

-and the butterflies inside her stomach were dancing again.

"I love you too."

.

Sayo didn't respond much after their session, mostly it's because she's tired after work, and so then Risa opted not to exert her for a second round. She let Sayo close her eyes, yielding in silence and compose herself, while she's embracing Sayo from behind, rounding her arms on Sayo's waist as she clipped closer to her comfort. They are still bared under the sheet, also Sayo's bed was small for two people, but either way, Risa didn't complain.

"Risa-san."

"Hmm?"

"Oh, you're still awake." Rustles. Sayo tried to turn to her back. "… Ah, sorry. I-I just want to see your face."

Though Risa blushed, she managed to strike a tease. "Smitten with me now?"

" _Risa-san_." Sayo thoroughly pouted, which is worse to Risa's health rather than seeing her glaring. "Let's, let's just sleep."

The clock passed with a loud ticking sound behind them; Sayo still wide awake, staring on Risa, and Risa replied with a soft stare as well. Their session just ended an hour ago, but the same warmth still lingered when they looked at each other, they wondered why. Sayo raised her hand up to stroke Risa's cheek, creating a line to her jaw, when Risa took that hand, urging Sayo's fingers to be there.

"Is there something on your mind?"

"No," Sayo scooted closer.

"Not even a good night kiss?"

"… Maybe."

Both of them giggled at that.

"Come closer, then?"

Meeting their lips again, the kiss was slower this time, and it stayed longer, longer for make both of them sure, that the next time they woke up, they were there – still with each other.

"I'm … looking forward to our date," Sayo whispered. "Risa."

"… You should stop making me surprised and losing my sleep, mou."

"Sorry, sorry." Sayo welcomed Risa to her arms, where Risa rested to feel Sayo's calming, slowing heartbeats. "… Let's sleep?"

"Mm."

 

* * *

* * *

 

 

**XII. Exhibition Day.**

The opening gate imprinted on the golden ticket says that the gate opened around 10 AM, being an early bird she is, though, Sayo came thirty-minutes earlier to see people already lined up before the gate. She waited a bit for Hina to come, spending her time to read on the exhibition pamphlete that being distributed by the staffs there.

The Gallery is a yearly exhibition which being held by Risa's art college. It was cancelled a year ago because the funds didn't meet, so this year art gallery would be promised to be grander and better. Amongst all the art works submitted by hundreds of the active college students, there been chosen only thirty paintings, thirty sculptures of any media, and twenty miscellaneous art including digital arts, and some other work that's not falling between paintings and sculptures category. Other attractions of The Gallery this year is several art classes being held for public that could be chosen, also they invited people who's having influence of art all around country for a talk show, some famous bands, and there are stage plays from the students as well. The pamphlete of the art work that displayed there is not included, however, Sayo must swap the ticket in the booth before the art gallery part later.

Sayo got a golden VVIP ticket, meaning a free entry to every classes as she pleases, even the front row to the stage area, which is pretty neat – but she wasn't here for the stage, or even the classes.

She squinted to see a familiar name among the available public art classes: Maruyama Aya – realistic panting – huh, now it sounded interesting.

"Onee-chaaaan!"

"Ah, Hina, good morning—wait, you don't have to clear the crowd with your bodyguard! Just line up like others!"

.

.

.

The Gallery occupied the large area of the big stadium hall in the city next to the said art college, dividing each parts well and planted enough signs here and there so the crowd won't get lost.

Risa said that she would be meeting up with curators of several art schools by the other side of public area, which may take long. The brunette said for Sayo to enjoy the gallery first and she would give a call when Risa is finished with her part. For the meantime, Hina would tag along with her – and making sure the young CEO didn't make a ruckus out of her blooming curiosity about everything.

"Onee-chan, how about we take Aya-chan's class? It's about two hours long, Risa-san should be finished by then." Hina nudged to her older sister's arms. "Though, hmm …"

"What is it, Hina?"

"You sure … dress light for going to a date."

Sayo looked down to her own attire—which she chose after hours of thinking. She didn't know what exactly good to wear on this occasion, and it's in the middle of scorching summer, too. It will be strange if she wore a dress or something since the public area of the gallery seemed informal. Sayo then picked her favorite black turtleneck sleeveless sweater top, tucked in knee-length pale yellow pleated skirt. She did wear more accessories than her usual wristwatch, like a yellow hairpin and bead necklace for a change – also makeup.

When turning to her mirror that morning, she wondered if it would impress Risa, but she already ran out of option and time by pondering what to wear.

"Is—is this that bad?'

"Hmm, I don't know? Maybe because I looked at you far too often in your summer attire." Hina tilted her head to the side. She tied up her jacket to her waist, leaving her t-shirt only as it's getting hot. "Oh, well. Let's kill some time! Off we go to Aya-chan's class!"

"What's this 'realistic painting', though? It sounded hard for a beginner."

"Just have fun, Onee-chan~"

Hina dragged her to the line to 'realistic painting' class there, part of her mind wondering what she and Risa would spend the day for the art gallery date—

.

For the first time in her life, living with neighbors like Maruyama Aya for months to years, Sayo finally asked if the pinkette feigned her innocence. She did … teach the normies the basic well, encouraging that everyone can draw and that they have an artist in them and all, and how Aya said that she's experienced in this realistic painting to the point she would help anyone who's stumbling … then when Aya showed the part of 'realistic' that's the model for the class, Sayo's jaws dropped. Hina made this long 'oh' before she followed with the erupting giggles of the class.

Nude, realistic nude painting with nude models – well, for moderation, there's still some cloth covering the model's body, but it's transparent—it's white—it's showing skin—Sayo wanted to scream.

Aya specialized in this nude watching? Unbelieveable.

"No need to be shy, Sayo-chan, just put your mind in your white canvas and draw~" come Aya's voice. Even the model laughed to see Sayo's face boiling.

"Maruyama-san, I don't sign up for this! This is embarrassing!"

"Don't worry, your result won't be posted~ just draw to your heart content~"

"Maruyama-san, you don't listen to me."

Sayo rubbed her temples, watching Hina absorbed on her own work-in-progress, guess she doesn't have much choice to put up with it … for now.

.

.

.

Sayo glanced on her phone every time to check, seeing that Risa has yet to contact her. Two hours after the classes, and there has yet any call or messages. Aya did say Risa's meeting might be long because it's kind of formalities between the campus and the affiliated curators. There are set of arranged schedules, but it's unknown when they will let the choosen students to go back.

"Onee-chan, Onee-chan! Let's go to the stage! It looks crowded and interesting!"

"Yeah, yeah." to erase her shame after sitting in a nude painting class for two hours, at least.

They passed on the tunnel before seeing the big stage by the center of supposed-to-be basketball field, people already taking their seats based on number imprinted on the normal ticket. Sayo can see the VVIP bench at the foot of the stage, but to reach that place, it would be a hassle to get out when Risa contacted her.

"Why don't we watch the stage from here? They have this big screen." Hina pointed at the standing crowd not far to the left near the guards who's helping people to get their seats. There's this big screen showing an exact same videos that played on the stage below.

'Video Documentary: Behind the Art' – or so it says by the top left corner.

.

.

.

"Gosh, why I forgot to charge my phone at the time like this!?"

Risa scolded herself as she broke running outside the meeting hall. Her phone already long dead before she knew it, and she come to realize that her phone was long gone when she just wanted to call Sayo.

Finding no place to start searching, she went to seek for Aya, since she must be teaching her painting class.

Unfortunately, when she stopped on the venue, the wood plank of 'Session Ended' is what greeted her. Turning on her heels, she sought for the main art gallery, the nearest one from Aya's class, hoping that Aya went to sight-seeing there first before any other venue.

"Ah! Here she is—Aya!"

Aya stopped on the forked road when she heard her name being called, beside Aya, a small blonde woman tagged along; dressing in formal blouse in contrast to Aya's simple ruffled knit and skirt.

"Oh, Risa-chan! You haven't meet with Sayo-chan yet?"

"That's why I'm here." Risa trying to catch her breath. "My phone's dead. Did you happen to meet with her earlier?"

"She joined my nude painting class," Aya said merrily, proud of that 'nude' part. The blonde woman beside her only smiled. "I think she's going for the stage? I do see Hina dragged her that way after class … wait Risa-chan? Ah she's gone …"

"Is that girl your friend?" the blonde asked, watching the direction where Risa fled.

"Not my girlfriend, but yes, a friend." Aya answered, then she nudged on the blonde's arm. "My girlfriend is here, though."

"Hmph, smooth talker, you."

.

.

.

Making her way to the stage, Risa needed to go through crowd of people there standing to watch. The stage looked lively even though they only showed part of video documentary which starring the artist behind their chosen art. Risa looked up to the big screen to see the number there, _the next one is hers – oh no, what if Sayo seen the recorded video—_

" _Next up is Imai Risa-san,"_ Risa blended in the crowd, yet to find the glimpse of turquoise, and there her embarrassing momentary being played. The MC scooted to introduce the brunette with her painting that's still covered by cloth on the wall. _"Well, Risa-san, can we see your special painting?"_

Risa on the screen unveiled her canvas. The camera zoomed in to seek the details from her watercolor painting. She let the portion of the canvas white, as if the viewer are seeing from a window. Inside the window, one barista in turquoise hair, pouring the glass of coffee while smiling – the viewer noticed that back, and how the barista mesmerized on her job.

" _Wow, such a great perspective with soft color blend."_ The MC seem delighted as well. _"Who's this lucky model to be here in your work? Mind telling us the process?"_

Risa there scratched the back of her neck, _"Eh, well, actually … I didn't ask for her permission yet, but I will tell, someday,"_ some part of the crowd giggled at that. _"This person … I love her smile, so I … kind of want to capture her in my painting."_ She continued. _"She rarely smile—like, she only smiled on small occasion, so … uhh wait, I'm sounding like a stalker now, am I? Can this part be cut?"_

They didn't cut it, sadly, Risa couldn't help but to breathe from her nose. The video went on to Risa detailing the process behind her painting and how she mixed those soft colors selection – she need to gather more focus in searching Sayo, though, not her stupid grin.

Another sad to her part is the fact that Sayo watched the documentary, on the front of crowds, to boot. Hina was seen laughing there, teasing on her red-faced older sister.

"Oh, there she is." Hina pushed Sayo to Risa's way. Sayo was a bit too embarrassed to realize her surroundings. Risa nodded on Hina's wink of affirmation and dragged Sayo away from the stage. The young CEO the waved. "I'll stay on the stage to watch the play, you two just enjoy your date, okay~"

.

.

.

Dragging Sayo back to the main gallery, they finally get a bigger space to be alone. Most people are attracted by the stage since the main show going to be held soon with bands and stage plays, part of the main gallery already deserted and some on-going public classes is being held in respective venues, so they only can go there, the main gallery.

"Sorry, phone's dead. Did I make you wait long?" Risa looked apologetic. They stopped before the entrance of the gallery, simply Risa accessing the situation.

"It's alright," Sayo gave their entwined hands a squeeze. "Where … should we go, then?"

"Have you seen my … painting yet?"

"On the screen, yes."

Risa fidgeted nervously, "Oh, right." She faked coughing. "Should we go to see it up close?"

The brunette then guided Sayo to the lined walls that made up the gallery. She walked in front of Sayo, and she only stopped when she caught a glimpse of Sayo interested in seeing a painting or sculpt.

Because of the bustle of people heads earlier, Sayo only noticed Risa's attire as they ventured the near-empty gallery by then, of how she bared part of her back with dark brown halter top and combined it with skinny jeans, announcing every part of her curved body. Though she had her hair loose, cascading brown locks with an auburn beret on, the glimpse of her skin is quite … inviting.

"Risa?" Sayo wriggled her to stop.

"Yes?"

"… You, you showed a lot of skin today." is her comment.

"Eh, oh," Risa darted her eyes away from Sayo. "Well, I … don't know what to wear to our date? So I kind of, choosing this out of whim?" she sweated. "Does it look bad? Well, um, compared to how gorgeous you are, maybe … yes …"

Risa trailed off. It's when Sayo went red like tomato again.

"But," Sayo managed. "It, it looks good on you, too."

Silence. Awkward; godly two words of their relationship, it's happening again.

"A-Anyways! Umm. Let's go!"

Paintings after paintings, posters after posters, sometimes also building mock-up and some futuristic digital spread later, Risa took another turn to her left, her painting is on display by the second row of the lining glass wall.

The title of the painting; Blumensarg, with a footer of Risa's hand signature.

"Blumensarg, huh, you're not creative on naming." Sayo jeered.

"Can't help it, I don't understand other languages like you."

"You can always ask, Risa."

"But that's embarrassing! Knowing you watching the documentary made me panicked too, y'know?" Risa let out a sigh.

Sayo extended her hand to reach for the painting, not exactly close to touch as it is prohibited. She followed on the line there, bold strokes that made out it, and then halted to point at the smile. Risa watched where Sayo is going, and there the painter blinked in confusion.

"Now you're getting to see the person smiled everyday," Sayo said, lips curved up. She turned to see Risa, her smile didn't fade. "Right?"

The painting was inspired of Sayo and her smile. And right on this day, she has been doing a great job to be a reason behind that smile. Risa released their connected fingers, throwing her arms on Sayo, giving her a big hug and a peck.

"… Yeah," she rested her head on Sayo's shoulder, pleased at how she finally, finally make the sun smiled again. "You're right."


End file.
